IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3 


/ 


O 


1.0 


I.I 


1^128     |2.5 
1^  1^    12.2 

2.0 


1.8 


1.25   ||U 

1.6 

.4 6"     — 

► 

V] 


<? 


/] 


'^  ? 


/: 


^ 


>^ 


'W 


'/ 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


R>. 


i/.xi    ■ 


^^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


Tha  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 


D 
D 
D 
D 

D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag6e 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  pellicul6e 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


D 


Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int6rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutdes 
lors  d'une  rastauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmdes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmage 
sunt  indiquds  ci-dessous. 

□    Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

□    Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 

□    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pellicul6es 

r~7]    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
I I    Pages  d6color6es,  tachetdes  ou  piqu6es 

□Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  indgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 


I      I    Showthrough/ 

□    Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qu 

I      I    Includes  supplementary  material/ 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  dt6  film^es  d  nouveau  de  fa^on  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmd  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous 

10X                            14X                             18X                            22X 

26X 

30X 

t 

^ 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

laire 
i  details 
lues  du 
It  modifier 
iger  une 
e  filmage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanl<8 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grSce  d  la 
gdn6rosit6  de: 

Bibliothdque  nationale  du  Canada 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  s>vec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetd  de  l'exemplaire  1ilm6.  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


1/ 
u6es 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  ft .  nt  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  &  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimde  sont  filmds  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmds  en  commengant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —^(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  chaque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  y  signifie  "FIN  ". 


lire 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  filmd  d  partir 
de  I'angle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


by  errata 
led  to 

ent 

jne  pelure, 

'agon  d 


1 

2 

3 

32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

N,Ol 


1.V 

■  i 


\l 


*  ,A 


wg?M  * 


tuB 


^,QwvmM 'nh^mMi 


CQS'rAit: 


11 


!;:  :-u^^ 


s'f 


^'  rrf. 


AMI- 


iwil,l0:'msFsees, 


PAS^S^^^t^ 


•i  «.^»..«. 


tA.%  A-^  , 


>fiiT  js  ■^/'^-r.  I'ns, 


S 
I 
I 

J 
) 

I 
I 
) 


'f 


-81 1 


iiWf.»at".:-;TK«sK-».i!Wt.OTr.vp>iaw*-;!yaai»''i'gfiwfc-ifc-jti^^ 


> 


NOl 


H 


LAI 


WITH  A 


THE 


NORTHERN  TRAVELLER; 


CONTAINING  THE 


HUDSON  mVER  GUIDE, 


AND 


TOUR  TO  THE  SPRINGS, 

LAKE  GEORGE,  AND  CANADA, 


s 
I 

I 

I 
» 


I 


PASSING  THROUGH  LA'IE  CHAMPLAIN. 

WITH  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  ALL  THE  PLACES  ON  THE  BOUTB 
MOST   WORTHY   OF   NOTICE. 


NEW- YORK : 

PUBLISHED  BY    J.   DISTURNELL, 
No.  102  Broadway. 


^A 


w: 


1844. 


OilS 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1844, 
by  John  Disturnell,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District 
Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New- York, 


PRLNTSD    BY    C.    VAN    BSNTHUVSEN    AND    CO. 


I 


I 


TABLE  OF  DISTANCES, 

BETWEEN  NEW-YORK  AND  ALBANY. 


.. 


$  % 
^ 


Distances    between    New-York 

and  Albanv,  on  the  east  side  of 

•^  Hudson  river,  by  mail  route. 


NAMES. 


New-Yokk,'  ••• 
King's  Bridge, 
Yonker's,'  •  ••• 
Dobb's  Ferry,  • 
Tarry  town,  ••• 

Sing-Sing, 

Crotjn  Kiver,' 

Peekskill, 

Philiipsbureh, 
Fishki!'    


Poughkeepsie,  •  •  • 

HydePirk, 

Hhinebeck, 

Redhook,  Lower,- 
Recihook,  Upper.* 

Clermont.  •• 

Blue  Store,  

Hudson, 

Siuyvesant  Falls, 

Kinderhook,  

Schodack  Centre, 

Oreenbush, 

Alhany,   


0 
13 
4 
S 
6 
6 
u 

10 
9 

10 

13 
6 

10 
6 
3 
6 
2 

II 
8 
5 

10 
9 
1 


0 

ir 
17 

22 

29 

34 

26 

46 

66 

66 

78 

84 

94 

100 

103 

103 

no 

121 
129 
134 
144 
153 
164 


C   B 

o  re 


164 

141 

137 

132 

126 

120 

118 

108 

99 

89 

70 

70 

60 

54 

61 

46 

44 

33 

26 

20 

10 

1 

0 


Distances  between 
and  Albany, on  the 
Hudson  river,  via. 

Nxw-YoRR,   

Piermont,  by*,  fc.- 
Ramapo,  by  r.  r. 
Monroe  Works,  do 
Turners'  I)ep6t,do 

NeWBURGH,     Stfl,£iC, 

Marlborough,  do 

Milton  do 

New  Paltz,      ^lO 

Esopus, 

RondoTir, 

Kingston, 

Glasco, 


New- York 
west  sidejof 
Pitjrmont. 


do 
do 
do 
do 


0| 

24 


0 
24 


20      44 


8 

6 

17 


6-2 
67 

74 


8 

82 

4 

86 

4 

90 

y 

99 

s\ 

107 

2, 

109 

9i 

118 

167 

143 

123 

1 15 

110 

93 

85 

81 

77 

68 

60 

68 

49 


Saugertics,  8tas:e. 
Milden,  do 

Catskill,  do 

Aihens,  do 

Coxsack  e,  do 
IV.  Baltimore,  do 
Coeymans,  do 
Albany,  do 


Distances  of  places 
son  river,   from 

New-York. 

Vew-Yof  :,- 

Bull's  F  y,  N.T 
Manha'.i  nville," 
Fort  Lee,  N  J.-  •• 
Spuyten  Duyvel  c. 

Yonii^rSj 

Hastings, 

Dobb's  Ferry,  ••  • 

Piermont, 

Tarrytown, • 

Sing-Sing. 

Verplank's  Point,- 
Caldwell's  Landing 
West  Point,"- '^ 

Cold  Spring, 

Cornwall, •• 

Newbiirgh, 

Neiv-Hamburgh,-  • 

Milton, 

Poughkeepsie,  -  •  •  - 

Tlyds    Park, 

Pelham, 

Rhineheck, 

Redhook,  Lower, 
Redhook,  Upper,'- 

Sangerties, 

Rristot,  or  Maiden 

Cat  skill,   

Hudson, 

Cox^ackie, 

Kinderkook  Land. 
New-Ballimpre,  •  • 

Coeymans, 

Castleton, 

Overslaugh, 

Albany, 

Trov, 


46 
4S 

34 
S9 
20 
14 
13 
0 


on  the  Hud- 
Albant  and 


3 

12'i| 

3 

1-24 

9  133 

6 

139 

8 

147 

6 

163 

2 

166 

12 

i  167 

0 
6 


2 

2 
3 
4 
3 
2 
2 
3 
6 
7 
4 
8 
2 
3 
4 
6 
3 
4 
6 
4 

6 
7 
3 
1 
1 
9 
6 
8 
3 
4 
2 
4 
6 
3 


01 
6 


8 

10 

13 

17 

20 

22 

24 

27 

33 

40 

44 

62 

64 

67 

61 

67 

70 

7 

80 

84 

90 

97 

100 

101 

102 

111 

116 

121 

127 

131 

133 

137 

142 

145 

61  161 


14A 

139 

137 

135 

133 

129 

12ft 

133 

121 

118 

119 

lOft 

101 

93 

91 

88 

84 

78 

76 

71 

65 

61 

65 

48 

45 

44 

43 

34 

29 

21 

18 

14 

U 

8 

3 

0 

6 


4 


Note.— Places  in  Italic,  are  the  usual  Steamboat  Landings. 


t 


1 


TABLE  OF  DISTANCE"^, 

BETWEEN  ALBANY  AND  SARATOGA  SPRINGS, 
WIIITi'^HALL,  MONTREAL,  &c. 


Distances    from  Almanv  to  Sar-  Canal   Roi'tg    from    AtnANv    to 


AToiiA    ISi'uiNUS,    via  btllCIU'C  j 

tddy. 

Miles. 

To  Schonntady, Hi 

Kiillsion  Spi, 14  3'1 

Siiruioyu  Springs, 7  37 


Albany  to  Saratooa  Springs,  viii 
I'roy. 

Trov, ( 

Watcrford, 4  11 

Mceli.iniisvillc, 8  1 

I^alKtoii  S;)i,  12  3( 

Saratoga  Springs, 7  31 


RoiUp  from  S^AiiATor.A  Sirinos  to 
Lake  George,  via  Gleu's  Fails. 

Wilton. •  7 

FortsviUo 4     1.' 

Glen's  Fulls, G  is 

Culdwcll,  (Lake  George,)    0  ^7 


Whitehau.. 


NAMES. 


V    « 

■z  p. 


<    ■ 

7^  rc 


Route  from  Saratoga  Springs  to 
Whitehall,  via  Smdy  Hill. 

Forisville, 

Sandy  Hill,* 

Kiiigi?biiry,    

Fori  Ann, 

Whilehall, ■ 


Al.HAINV, 

West-Troy, 

Jiinciion, 

vVa  I  kkkokd, 

Mecljanicsville,  •  • 
SiillwaUT  Village 
HIceckor's  Ha^in 
^Viltjcr's  Hasin,  • 
Van  Diizni's  L.  • 
Scliiiylervillp.  ••  • 
S  irato^a  IJi  id<;c, 
F(jrl  Miller,  •••  •-■ 

Moses  Kill, 

Forl-Ed\v;iid,  ••  • 
Glen's  Fills  Fr.- 
Dunh  iin's  Ha^in, 
Smith's  Easin,-  • 

Fort-Ann, 

Comstofk's  L.--- 
VVhiieiiall, 1 


0 
G 
•i 
3 

8 
4 

6 
3 

1 
5 
4 

4 
8 


0)  — 
-  RJ 


0 

c 

8 
11 
19 
23 
26 
27 
32 
36 
37 
40 
43 
4S 
60 
61 
60 
GO 
G4 
1-2 


72 
66 
64 
61 
53 
49 
47 
45 
40 
37 
36 
32 
29 
24 
22 
21 
16 
13 
8 
0 


12 

7  10 

6  24| 

6  29' 

11  40 


Stage    Route    from    Albany    to 
Whitehall. 

Troy, G 

Lansinj-'hiirph. 3    9 

SclDigliticoke, • 7  16 

Kaslon,  10  :2G 

Greenwich,  9  35 

Argyle,   II  4(i 

Harllord,  10  56 

GranvilU!,» • 7  6:i 

Whiithill, 9  72 

*To  Dunham's  Basia  2  miles. 


Distances  from  port  to  port  be- 
tween Whitehall  tV.  Montreal, 

Whitehall, 

Henson,  Vermont, 
Orwt'll,  do-- 

Ticoiideroga,  •   •• 
Short'lnm,       do-- 


Hridport,  <!o-- 
|Chiinney  Point,  do 

|l^ort  Hcniy, 

VVcst  Tori, 

JFort  Cassin,  do-- 
F,<se\,  ..-..=  .  = .  - . 
HuKLiNGToN     do-- 

Port  Kent, 

Plavtsiiuroh,  ••  •  • 

(/hazy, 

''onst.''s  Poi  It,  •  •• 
Isle  aiixNoi.XjCan 
St   John's,         do. 
La  Prairie,    IL  R 
•Montreal,  S.  boatj 


0 
13 

7 
4 

9 
G 
2 

11 

7 

7 
14 
10 
16 
IG 

9 
12 
12 
16 

9 


0 

13 

20 

24 

26 

35 

41 

4.? 

64 

Gl 

GS 

82 

92 

107 

123 

132 

144 

156 

171 

180 


180 

167 

160 

166 

164 

145 

139 

137 

126 

119 

112 

98 

88 

73 

67 

48 

36 

24 

9 

0 


% 


72 

66 

64 

61 

63 

49 

47 

45 

40 

37 

36 

32 

129 

24 

22 

21 

16 

12 

8 

0 


r 


i 


.\>n );../..    l-iilili^tlir.l  hy   .1   l)i:.l,,inrll    l.-^-tt- 


l'.liE.l.v<'.W.l',)i»Mii,A,li.ir 


■■mat 


VMH 


\ 


.-ji«oit.A.i'.irt\-. 


HUDSON  RIVEK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


During  th(?  season  of  navigation  on  the  Hudson,  which 
usually  oxtcn  Is  /loni  about  tiie  XlOth  of  March  to  the  lore 
part  ot' December,  numerous  steamboats  leave  the  city  of 
New-York  every  tnoriiing  an-l  eveninjj;,  ibr  various  pla- 
ces on  both  shores  q{  the  river.  The  boats  of  t!ie  largest 
class,  nowhere  excelled  lor  comtbrt  and  speed,  run  tlirough 
to  Albany  and  Troy,  about  150  miles,  in  ten  to  twelve 
hours  runnin'^  time,  and  touch  at  the  priiicipal  villages 
on  the  way,  to  land  and  receive  passengers.  Usual  fare 
through,  $2.00,  including  berths  in  the  night  boatr.. 

To  the  traveller  for  pleasure  and  health,  the  day  boats 
are  the  most  desirable,  particularly  in  hot  weather,  when 
a  night  s  confinement  in  a  crowded  cabin  is  very  oppres- 
sive ;  and  they  furnish  a  fine  opportunity  to  enjoy  the 
varied  and  beautiful  scenery  of  this  noble  river. 

The  panoramic  view  on  leaving  the  city  is  extensive 
and  grand.  Seaward  it  embraces  parts  of  Long  Island 
and  Staten  Island  with  the  "  Narrows," — the  spacious 
Bay  of  New-York  studded  with  Governor's,  Bedlow's, 
and  Ellis's  Islands — the  Jersey  shore,  on  the  west,  with 
its  settlements  and  cultivated  fields — and  on  the  east  the 
city  itself  with  its  long  ranges  of  wharves  and  shipping, 
its  spires,  c:nd  its  masses  of  architecture — and  as  the  boat 
rounds  out  upon  the  bosom  of  the  majestic  river  and 
springs  forward  on  her  upward  course,  the  view,  crowded 
with  striking  contrasts  and  full  of  life  and  action,  is  one 
of  rare  beauty  and  interest. 

Jersey  City  opposite  the  lower  part  of  New- York, 
and  HoBOKEN  a  mile  north,  are  seen  to  great  advantage 


HUDSON     RIYBR 


as  the  steamboat  leaves  the  wharf.  At  the  former  place 
^commences  the  New  Jersey,  and  Paterson  Railroads; 
and  the  latter  place  is  a  delightful  and  favorite  resort  of 
the  citizens  of  New- York,  during  the  warm  summer  sea- 
son, when  the  commodious  steam  ferry  boats  are  crowd- 
ed every  afternoon  with  parties  of  both  sexe?,  seeking 
refreshment  from  the  heated  and  thronged  streets  of  the 
city,  in  that  charming  retreat. 

Weehawken,  on  the  Jersey  shore  north  of  Hoboken 
and  3  miles  from  New- York,  a  high  wooded  cliff,  with  its 
bold  rocliy  bluffs  partly  veiled  with  trees  and  partly  bare, 
and  a  handsome  villa  on  its  summit  is  one  of  the  finest 
points  in  the  scene  as  you  move  up  the  river.  At  the 
foot  of  this  cliff  and  on  the  margin  of  the  river  a  small 
obelisk  of  white  marble  for  many  years  marked  the  spot 
where  Alexander  Hamilton  fell  in  his  fatal  duel  with 
Aaron  Burr,  on  the  12th  July,  1804.  The  monument, 
however,  has  long  since  been  removed. 

Bull's  Ferry,  2  to  3  miles  further  north,  on  the 
same  shore,  is  a  place  of  considerable  resort,  being  con- 
nected with  the  city  by  a  steam  ferry. 

Bloomingdale,  on  York  Island,  5  niiles  from  the  City 
Hall,  is  a  scattered  settlement,  in  which  the  most  promi- 
nent object  is  the  Orphan  Asylum,  which,  as  seen  fro*, 
the  river,  with  its  green  lawn  extending  to  the  water's 
edge  and  surroundeu  ^y  a  fine  grove,  presents  a  pleasing 
aspect. 

About  3  miles  further  up  the  island,  or  8  miles  from  the 
City  Hall,  is  the  Lunatic  Asylum,  a  stately  pile  stand- 
ing on  elevated  ground. 

The  next  conspicuous  object  on  the  island,  and  visible 
from  the  Hudson,  isMANHATTANviLLE,  about  a  mile  and 
a  hall"  east  of  which,  toward  the  East  River  and  near 
Hell- Gate,  is  the  village  of  Harlem. 


I 


t 


i 


AND  ITS   VICINITY. 


^ 


Fort  Washington,  2  miles  north  of  Manhattan ville, 
ks  elevated  238  feet  above  the  river,  being  the  highest 
point  on  the  island  of  New- York.  This  old  fort  was 
captured  by  the  British  and  Hessians,  in  the  disastrous 
campaign  of  1776,  when  so  .e  two  or  three  thousand  Amer- 
icans were  either  killed  or  taken  captive,  and  thrown  into 
the  prison-ships  at  the  Wallabout  Bay,  where  the  United 
States  now  have  an  extensive  Navy- Yard,  near  Brooklyn. 

Fort  Lee,  on  the  Jersey  shore,  10  miles  from  New- 
York,  is  a  place  of  considerable  interest,  and  between  it 
and  that  city  a  steam  ferry  boat  plies  daily.  The  site  of 
the  old  fort  is  on  the  brow  of  the  Palisades,  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  river  and  ePjvated  about  300  feet  above  it. 
It  was  surrendered  to  the  British  in  1776,  immediately 
after  the  capture  of  Fort  Washington. 

TJie  Palisades,  the  most  striking  and  peculiar  feature 
of  the  scenery  on  either  side  of  the  Hudson,  commence  a 
little  north  of  Weehawken,  and  on  the  same  shore.  This 
descriptive  designation  has  been  given  to  a  majestic  range 
of  columnar  rock,  varying  in  height  from  50  feet  to  3  and 
400  feet,  and  walling  in  the  Hudson  as  far  as  Piermont, 
a  distance  of  20  miles.  Just  above  Fort  Lee  they  rise, 
almost  perpendicularly,  from  the  water's  edge ;  and  as 
the  channel  of  the  river,  for  the  whole  20  miles,  runs 
very  near  the  west  side  and  along  the  base  of  these  ma- 
jestic cliffs,  they  are  seen  to  great  advantage  from  the 
decks  of  the  steamboats. 

Spuyten  Duyvel  Creek  flows  into  the  Hudson  13 
miles  north  of  the  City  Hall  of  New- York,  and  connects 
with  the  Harlem  river  on  the  east,  thus  separating,  the 
Island  of  New- York  from  Westchester  county.  Kings- 
bridge,  on  the  great  post-road  from  New- York  to  Albany, 
crosses  this  creek  about  a  mile  from  its  mouth,  near  whick 
on  the  north  bank,  is  the  site  of  old  Fort  Independence, 


8 


HUDSON     RIVER 


Here  commences  a  succession  of  beautifully  situated 
country  residences,  looking  out  upon  the  river  and  across 
it  to  the  Palisades  ;  the  shore  itself  being  marked  by  a 
succession  of  narrow  valleys  and  ridges  running  back  with 
a  gradual  ascent  to  the  north  and  south  range  of  highland, 
which  separates  the  waters  flowing  into  the  Hudson,  from 
those  which  pass  off  to  the  East  River  and  Long  Island 
Sound.  As  you  advance  up  through  Westchester,  this 
north  and  south  ridge  becomes  more  elevated  and  rocky. 
It  is,  in  fact,  the  commencement  of  that  extensive  and 
lofty  range  which  soon  enlarges  itself  into  the  Fishkill 
Mountains,  further  north  swells  into  the  still  loftier  Tagh- 
kanic  group,  and  finally  attains  its  highest  grandeur  in 
the  Green  Mountains  of  Vermont. 

YoNKERS,  17  xTiiles  north  of  New- York,  is  a  thriving 
village  in  Westchester  county,  at  the  mouth  of  Saw-mill 
riv.er.  It  contains  about  80  dwelling  houses  and  some  500 
or  600  inhabitants,  and  is  the  summer  resort  of  many  citi- 
zens of  New-York,  being  easily  reached  by  the  steam- 
boats which  ply  daily  between  that  city,  Sing-Sing  and 
Peekskiil.  It  is  surrounded  by  very  pleasant  scenery  and 
commands  a  fine  view  of  the  Hudson  and  the  Palisades. 

Hastings,  3  miles  north  of  Yonkers,  is  a  convenient 
landing-place,  at  which  the  smaller  steamboats  touch  to 
receive  and  discharge  passengers. 

Doeb's  Ferry,  22  miles  north  of  New- York,  is  a  small 
settlement  with  a  steamboat  wharf.  This  was  an  impor- 
tant point  in  the  military  operations  of  the  Revolutionary 
war.  A  ferry  communicates  with  the  opposite  shore  at 
the  foot  of  the  Palisades,  a  little  north  of  the  boundary 
line  between  the  States  of  New- York  and  New- Jersey  ; 
and  from  this  point  northward  both  sides  of  the  Hudson 
are  in  New- York. 


} 


¥ 


AND    ITS    VICINITY. 


9 


I 


PiERMONT,  formerly  known  as  Tappan  Landing,  or 
the  ''Sloat,"  is  on  the  west  shore  of  the  Hudson.  24  miles 
from  the  city  of  New-York.  It  has  become  a  place  of 
importance  as  the  terminus  o[  the  New- York  anl  Erie 
Railroad.  The  line  of  this  great  work,  from  Piermont 
to  Dunkirk  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  is  446  miles  long. 
In  1841,  the  section  extending  from  Piermont,  which  is 
in  the  county  of  Rockland,  to  Goshen  in  Orange  county, 
46  miles,  was  finished  and  put  in  operation.  Since  that 
time,  the  completion  of  7  miles  more,  extends  the  road  to 
Middletown.  At  Piermont  a  substantial  pier,  more  than 
a  mile  long,  has  been  constructed,  extending  from  the 
shore  to  the  channel  of  the  Hudson.  A  steamboat  plies 
daily  between  this  place  and  New- York,  and  connects 
with  the  cars  running  on  the  railroad.  At  this  point, 
also,  the  Palisades  terminate  on  the  north  by  an  abrupt  hill. 
This  hill,  and  the  extensive  joier  already  mentioned,  be- 
ing  the  two  most  distinguishing  features  of  the  place,  they 
have  been  appropriately  combined  to  form  the  name  of 
Piermont. 

Distances  on   the  New- York   and    Erie  Railroad 
FROM  Piermont  to  Middletown. 

To  Blauveltville, 4  miles. 

Clarkstown, 5    9  a 

Mousey's, 4  13  <« 

Suffern's,    5  18  " 

Ramapo, 2  20  '< 

Monroe  Works, 8  2S  ** 

Turner's,  (17  miles  from  Newburgh,).  5  33  '' 

Monroe  village, 3  36  " 

Chester, 541  " 

Goshen, 545  <« 

Newhampton, 4  50  '^ 

Middletown, 3  53  n 

Two  or  three  miles  west  from  the  river  is  the  old  vil- 
lage of  Tappan,  memorable  as  having  been  for  a  time. 


10 


HUDSON     RIVBR 


1 


the  Head-Quarters  of  Washington  and  the  American  army 
during  the  Revolution,  and  the  place  where  Major  Andre 
was  executed  on  the  2d  of  October,  1780. 

Tappan  Bay— or,  as  it  was  usually  called  in  earlier 
times,  Tappan  Sea — being  an  expansion  of  the  river, 
commences  at  Piermont  and  extends  northward  to  Tel* 
ler's  Point,  a  distance  of  10  miles,  with  an  average  width 
of  about  3  miles.  On  the  eastern  shore  of  this  Bay,  in 
the  midst  of  a  beautiful  landscape,  is  the  favorite  country 
residence  of  Washington  Irving.  Nowhere  on  either  shore 
of  the  Hudson  is  the  scenery  more  distinguished  for  its 
picturesque  beauty,  having  the  Palisades  in  full  view  at 
the  southwest ;  at  the  west  and  north  a  fine  range  of  hills 
stretching  away  to  the  grand  mountain  masses  of  the 
**  Highlands,"  with  the  broad  river  between. 

Irving,  is  the  name  given  to  a  small  settlement  about 
one  mile  south  of  the  village  of 

Tarrytown,  which  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  river,  overlooking  Tappan  Bay,  27  miles 
north  of  the  city  of  New- York.  It  contains  about  100 
dwelling  houses  and  1,000  inhabitants.  Steamboats  run- 
ning to  New- York,  touch  daily  at  this  place.  Immediate- 
ly north  is  Beekmantown,  where  is  the  Irving  Institute, 
a  school  of  much  celebrity,  and  a  venerable  Dutch  Re- 
formed Church,  erected  about  the  middle  of  the  17th  cen- 
tury.  Tarrytown  is  famed  as  being  the  place  where  Major 
Andre  was  captured  while  watering  his  horse,  on  his  re- 
turn from  West  Point,  and  from  a  personal  interview 
with  the  traitor,  Gen.  Arnold.  Immediately  north  of  this 
village,  also,  is  the  famous  Sleepy  Hollow,  where  Wash- 
ington Irving  laid  the  scene  of  his  entertaining  legend  of 
that  name. 

Nyack,  on  the  western  side  of  the  bay  or  river,  is  a 
pleasant  and  thriving  place,  between  which  and  New- 


1 


.,rt< 


AND    ITS   VICINITY. 


11 


«• 


t 


York ,  a  steamboat  plies  daily.  Here  Tappan  Bay  spreads 
to  its  greatest  width,  presenting  a  noble  expanse  of  water. 

Rockland  Lake,  2  or  3  miles  northwest  of  Nyack, 
is  a  picturesque  sheet  of  the  purest  water,  from  which 
large  quantities  of  ice  are  annually  sent  to  the  New- York 
market. 

Sing- Sing  is  handsomely  situated  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  Hudson  river.  It  has  four  landings,  from  which 
steamboats  and  vessels  ply  daily  to  and  from  the  city  of 
New- York,  a  distance  of  33  miles.  The  main  part  of 
the  village  is  situated  on  high  and  uneven  ground,  rising 
180  feet  above  tide  water,  and  overlooking  Tappan  and 
Haverstraw  Bays,  the  Hudson  and  Croton  rivers,  and 
the  surrounding  country,  including  a  distant  view  of  the 
Palisades  and  the  Highlands.  Sing-Sing  was  incorporated 
in  1813,  and  now  contains  about  2,500  inhabitants.  This 
village  derives  its  name  from  the  Indian  words  ^'  Ossin,' 
Sing,^'  meaning  in  their  language,  the  place  of  stone.  It 
is  now  celebrated  for  its  marble  quarries,  which  are  work- 
ed to  a  great  extent  by  the  state  prison  convicts,  who  have 
here  erected  2  large  prisons,  a  keeper's  house  and  several 
ranges  of  work  shops,  from  materials  found  on  the  state 
farm ;  where  is  also  located  a  silver  mine,  which  was 
worked  to  some  extent  previous  to  the  Revolution,  and  a 
copper  mine  which  has  been  more  recently  worked.  The 
marble  found  in  this  vicinity,  is  of  a  medium  quality  and 
almost  inexhaustible  ;  large  quantities  are  annually  quar- 
ried and  sent  to  the  city  of  New- York  and  other  places. 

The  Mount  Pleasant  State  Prison,  situated  abo  '  ^ 
half  a  mile  south  of  the  village  of  Sing-Sing,  contained 
in  1840,  827  male  and  female  convicts,  of  whom  60  were 
females.  The  prison  grounds  consist  of  130  acres  of  land, 
lying  between  the  villages  of  Sing- Sing  and  Sparta  j  being 
bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Highland  turnpike,  and  on  the 


12 


HUDSON     RIVER 


west  by  the  ITuJson  river,  which  here  aflfords  a  depth  of 
twelve  feet  of  water  at  the  landing.  The  main  prison 
building  is  four  hundred  and  eighty-four  feet  in  length, 
north  and  south,  and  forty-lour  feet  in  width,  fronting 
westerly  on  the  Hudson,  being  5  stories  in  height  and  con- 
taining 1,000  cells  ;  in  front  and  rear  are  located  work 
shops  of  different  kinJs,  which,  together  with  the  keeper's 
house,  are  all  built  of  rough  dress  marble.  Attached  to 
the  prison  building  cm  the  south,  is  a  chapel,  hospital, 
kitchen,  storehouses,  &c.  A  new  prison  for  female  con- 
victs stands  on  elevated  ground,  and  is  built  of  marble  in 
the  Ionic  order. 

Teller's  Point,  about  a  mile  north  of  Sing-Sing, 
separates  Tappan  from  Haverstraw  Bay.  It  projects 
southerly  into  the  river  more  than  a  mile,  immediately 
above  the  confluence  of  the  Croton  river,  with  the  Hud- 
son. On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  rises  Verdreltje's 
Hook,  a  bold  headland  663  feet  high,  forming  a  beautiful 
feature  in  the  landscape. 

Haverstraw  Bay,  is  another  expansion  of  the  Hud- 
son river,  2  to  3  miles  wide  and  6  miles  long,  terminating 
on  the  north  at  Verplank's  and  Stony  Points. 

Haverstraw  or  Warrex,  lies  on  the  west  side  of  the 
bay  or  river,  35  miles  from  New- York,  to  which  city  a 
steamboat  runs  daily. 

Grassy  Point,  2  miles  above,  on  the  same  side  of  the 
river,  is  a  convenient  steamboat  landing. 

Verplank's  Point,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  40 
miles  north  of  the  city  of  New- York  is  an  excellent  land- 
ing place,  and  memorable  from  its  connection,  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  with  Stony  Point  on  the  opposite  s^ide.  On 
the  latter  point  is  now  a  light  house,  erected  on  the  site 
of  the  old  fortification,  which  completely  commanded  the 
channel  of  the  river.    These  poiuts,  where  the  river  con- 


AJfD    ITS    VICINITY. 


13 


tTc^cts  to  about  half  a  mile  in  width,  were  the  first  im- 
portant positions  north  of  the  city  of  New- York  at  which 
the  American  forces  attempted  to  defend  the  passage  of 
the  Hudson  against  the  British,  in  the  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence. During  the  winter  months,  when  the  river  is 
closed  with  ice  above,  steamboats  can  often  reach  Ver- 
plank's  Point  from  New- York,  and  save  the  traveller  the 
fatigue  of  passing  over  a  difficult  part  of  the  stage  road 
between  the  cities  of  New- York  and  Albany. 

Caldwell's  Landing,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
44  miles  from  New- York  and  101  miles  from  Albany,  is 
the  first  place  at  which  steam  passage  boats  of  the  large 
class  touch  on  their  upward  trip,  to  land  and  receive  pas- 
sengers. This  landing  is  situated  at  the  south  entrance 
of  the  "  Highlands,"  and  is  connected  by  a  steam  ferry 
with 

Peekski.l.  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  a  large 
and  thriving  village,  from  which  two  or  three  steamboats 
run  directly  to  the  city  of  New-York,  carrying  large 
quantities  of  produce,  manufactured  articles,  and  pas- 
sengers. It  was  incorporated  in  1827,  and  now  contains 
2,000  inhabitants,  8  churches,  6  public  houses,  30  stores, 
and  about  250  dwellings. 

On  Oak  Hilly  where  is  now  situated  the  Peekskill 
Academy,  a  flourishing  chartered  institution,  is  a  venerable 
oak  tree  on  which  was  hung  during  the  revolutionary  war, 
two  noted  spies,  Strang  and  Palmer.  Peekskill  was  then 
the  head-quarters  of  the  American  army  under  Gen.  Put- 
nam, who  here  dated  his  laconic  reply  to  Sir  Henry  Clin- 
ton, commander  of  the  British  forces  in  tne  city  of  New- 
York,  who  sent  up  a  flag  of  truce,  demanding  the  release 
of  Edmund  Palmer,  a  lieutenant  of  a  tory  regiment,  who 
had  been  detected  in  the  American  camp.  The  following 
was  the  reply  sent  back  by  Putnam : 


14 


HUDSON     BrIVER 


i 


*'  Head-Quarters,  7th  Aug.  1777, 

"Edmund  Palmer,  an  officer  in  the  enemy's  service, 

was  taken  as  a  spy,  luiking  within  the  American  lines  ; 

he  has  been  tried  as  a  spy,  condemiicd  as  a  spy,  and  shall 

be  executed  as  a  spy,  and  the  flag  is  ordered  to  depart 

immediately. 

''  ISRAEL  PUTNAM, 

"  P,  S.     He  has  been  accordingly  executed." 

Stage  Lines  east   from  Peekskill, 

A  stage  runs  from  Peekskill  to  Ridgefield,  Conn,  via 
Somers  and  North  Salem,  every  Tuesday,  Thursday  and 
Saturday  morning  :  leaving  Peekskill  at  8  o'clock  A.  M. 
The  same  stage  leaves  Ridgefield  every  Monday,  Wed- 
nesday, and  Friday  morning. 

A  stage  runs  from  Peekskill  to  Carmel  village,  via 
Red  Mills  and  Mahopack,  every  Tuesday,  Thursday  and 
Saturday  ;  leaving  Peekskill  at  2  P.  M.,  and  Carmel  the 
same  days  at  8  A.  M. 

Duriiig  summer,  a  stage  leaves  Peekskill  every  day  for 
Mahopack  Lakt,  and  in  the  hottest  of  the  season,  when 
the  lake  is  most  visited,  twice  a  day  ,  leaving  Peekskill 
at  12  M.  and  at  7  P.  M. 

Mahopack  Lake,  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water  in  the 
town  of  Carmel,  Putnam  county  ;  and  is  one  of  the  chief 
sources  of  the  Croton  river.  It  is  about  one  mile  in 
diameter  and  embosoms  two  or  three  small  islands.  The 
waters  abound  with  various  kinds  of  fish  of  a  fine  flavor. 
It  is  a  place  of  considerable  resort,  with  good  accommo- 
dations for  visitf^rs. 

At  Fort  Independence,  opposite  Caldwell's  Landing, 
on  the  northeast,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Peekskill,  a  pub- 
lic house  has  recently  been  erected,  which  is  intended  for 
a  summer  retreat.  The  situation  is  delightful,  facing  down 
the  river  with  an   unobstructed  view  for  many   miles, 


ITS   AND    VICINITY. 


15 


m 


10- 


g) 


b- 


m 


while  immediately  in  the  rear  rise  the  "  Highlands"  in 
majestic  grandeur.  It  is  contemplated  to  make  this  a 
regular  steamboat  landing,  and  also  to  construct  a  bridge 
across  tub  mouth  of  the  creek  or  bay,  wh-'ch  separates  it 
from  the  village  of  Peekskiil. 

On  leaving  Caldwell's  landing,  the  river  takes  a  sudden 
turn  to  the  w^est  for  about  a  mile  ;  this  reach  having  the 
local  designation  of  the  '*  Horse  Race,"  and  then  re- 
sumes its  northern  course,  passing  between  the  bold, 
wooded,  and  overshadowing  hills  known  as  the  "High- 
lands," or  "  Matteawan  Mountains."  This  latter  name, 
meaning  "the  country  of  good  fur,"  was  given  by  the 
the  Aborigines,  and  is  a  fine,  distinctive  and  appropriate 
name  for  the  whole  group. 

The  "  Highlands,"  the  grandest,  and  next  to  the 
Palisades,  the  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  scenery  of 
the  Hudson,  are  about  16  miles  in  width,  and  extend  in 
a  southwest  and  northeast  direction  for  some  20  or  30 
miles,  covering  a  part  of  the  counties  of  Rockland  and 
Orange,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  Putnam  and 
Dutchess  on  the  east.  Several  of  their  summits  reach  an 
elevation  of  1,000  to  1,685  feet.  This  maybe  considered 
classic  ground,  as  many  of  the  points  or  eminences  in 
view  from  the  river  are  celebrated  in  history  for  being  the 
scene  of  stirring  events  during  the  struggle  for  American 
Independence,  1776  to  1783. 

The  sites  of  old  Fort  Clinton  and  Montgomery ,  of  revo- 
lutionrxry  memory,  are  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  op- 
posite the  lower  Anthony^  Nose,  6  miles  below  West 
Point.  These  forts,  deemed  almost  impregnable,  were 
erected  at  this  point  for  the  defence  of  the  river,  which 
was  also  obstructed  by  chevaux-de-frise,  boom  and  chains. 
On  the  6th  of  Oct.  1777,  they  were  attacked  by  a  supe- 
rior British  force  under  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  and  captured 


16 


HUDSON     RIVER 


after  a  sharp  resistance ;  the  garrison  of  COO  men  being 
overpowerei  by  a  disciplined  army  3,000  strong.  The 
works  were  resolutely  defended  until  d'^rk,  wbrn  the  ene- 
my effected  an  entrance  at  several  p  s,  there  not  be- 
ing a  sufficient  number  of  soldiers  in  the  /ort  to  man  the 


lines. 


West  Point,  is  romantically  situated  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Hudson  river,  52  miles  from  New-York  and  93 
miles  from  Albany.  It  is  the  seat  of  the  United  States 
military  academy,  established  by  an  act  of  Congress,  in 
March,  1802;  and  the  land  ceded  to  the  United  States 
government  by  the  state  of  New- York,  JvS26.  Here  are 
now  erected  two  stone  barracks,  one  of  three  and  the 
other  four  stories  in  height,  occupied  by  250  cadets,  which 
is  the  number  authorized  by  law  ,  an  academic  hall,  a 
large  three  story  stone  building,  275  feet  in  length,  by  75 
feet  in  width,  used  for  military  exercises  in  winter,  and 
as  a  depository  of  the  chemical  apparatus,  models  of  for- 
tification, artillery,  architecture  and  machines  and  as  re- 
citation and  drawing  rooms  :  a  new  and  beautiful  two 
story  stone  building,  to  be  used  for  the  library  and  philo- 
sophical apparatus,  constructed  in  the  Elizabethan  style 
of  architecture,  and  is  150  feet  in  length  by  60  feet  in 
width  ;  the  north  front  has  three  towers  suite!  for  the  as- 
tronomical apparatus;  the  centre  tower  is  surmounted  by 
a  dome  of  2S  feet  10  inches  in  diameter,  the  whole  of 
which  revolves  on  its  verfical  axis,  adapting  it  to  the  use 
of  a  large  equatorial  telescope  ;  a  chapel,  a  hospital,  a 
mess  hall,  two  cavalry  stables,  several  workshops  and 
store-rooms,  and  seventeen  separate  dwellings  occupied 
by  the  officers  of  the  institution.  In  addition  to  the  above, 
here  aro  located  a  magazine,  a  laboratory,  soldiers'  bar- 
racks, a  store,  and  about  25  dwelling  houses,  occupied  by 
families  connected  with  the  military  school ;  in  all  con- 


AND    ITS  VICINITY. 


17 


ln- 


tiininj*  a  population  of  about  900  souls.  Here  also  is  a 
convenient  steamboat  landias,  and  a  well  kept  hotel,  cal- 
culated to  accommodate  about  100  visiters. 

K^o  place  in  the  Union  probably,  exceeds  West  Point  in 
beauty  of  location  and  the  stirring  incidents  connected 
with  its  early  history,  being  ''  hallowed  by  the  footsteps 
of  Washington  and  Kosciusko,"  during  the  revolutionary 
straggle — the  interest  in  which,  is  continued  to  the  pre- 
sent time  by  its  being  the  residence  and  school  of  the  fu- 
ture defenders  of  the  Union.  In  1777,  immediately  after 
the  capture  of  Forts  Clinton  and  Montgomery,  by  the 
British  army,  West  Point  was  first  occupied  by  the  Ameri- 
can army,  and  fortified  at  the  instance  of  Gov.  George 
Clinton,  of  Revolutionary  memory.  At  the  present  time  are 
to  be  seen  the  remains  of  Forts  Putnam  and  Arnold, 
(after  the  treason  of  the  latter,  called  Fort  Clinton,) 
which  is  situated  on  the  extreme  eastern  point  of  this 
military  position,  160  feet  above  tide  water,  while  Fort 
Putnam  is  situated  on  Mount  Independence  1,000  yards 
southwest,  elevated  about  500  feet  abr  /e  the  river ; 
there  are  also  numerous  other  redoubts  and  batteries, 
crowning  the  various  eminences  in  the  vicinity,  built  un- 
der the  direction  of  the  celebrated  Kosciusko  as  engineer. 
In  August,  1780,  Gen.  Arnold  was  assigned  to  the  com- 
mand of  this  important  military  station,  extending  from 
Fishkili  to  Verplank's  Point.  On  the  25th  of  September, 
he  precipitately  made  his  eccafte  from  his  head-quarters, 
the  Roi)inson  House,  situated  two  miles  below  West  Point, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  his  treason  having  been 
discovered  by  the  fortunate  capture  of  Major  Andre. 
From  this  periof%  to  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war 
in  1783,  West  Point  was  garrisoned  by  a  strong  division 
of  the  American  army  ;  afttr  which,  the  garrison  was 
reduced,  and  this  location  made  a  depot  for  the  revolu- 

B 


18 


HUDSON    RIVER 


lionary  armament  and  other  military  stores.  In  1794,  at 
the  recommendation  of  Gen.  Wasliinglon,  n  military 
Bchool  was  commence  I  in  n  buildinp;  wliich  was  burnt 
down  two  years  thereafter,  and  the  school  suspended  un- 
til 1S()2. 

There  arc  now  connected  with  the  West  Point  Academy, 
thirty- four  officers  and  professors,  a  company  of  artillery 
and  a  detachment  of  dragoons,  besides  the  cadets,  who 
generally  remain  here  for  a  period  of  four  years,  in 
which  time  they  are  qualified  to  become  subaltern  oflicers 
of  the  several  corps  of  the  army. 

Visiters  on  lanjing  at  West  Point,  are  required  to  en- 
ter  their  names  on  a  slate,  presented  by  a  solJier  on  duty 
for  that  purpose  ;  it  is  immediately  afterwards  taken  to 
the  commanJer's  quarters,  who  is  thereby  informed  of  all 
arrivals.  The  departures  are  also  regulated  in  the  same 
manner.  No  stranger  should  leave  this  place  without 
visiting  the  public  buildings  ;  Kosciusko's  Monument,  and 
a  wild  and  romantic  vetreat  near  the  water's  eJge,  called 
"  Kosciusko's  Garden,"  the  ruins  of  old  Fort  Putnam, 
which  commands  a  view  of  West  Point,  the  Hudson 
river,  and  the  surrounding  mountain  scenery.  The  Ce- 
metery, about  half  a  mile  north  of  the  hotel,  is  also  well 
worthy  of  a  visit.  On  the  south,  towards  Buttermilk 
Falls,  about  a  mile  distant,  there  is  a  pleasant  road  run- 
ning near  the  river,  and  most  of  the  way  through  a  beau- 
tiful grove  of  trees.  In  iWk  vicinity,  and  most  agreeably 
located,  is  an  academy  for  young  men,  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Lieut.  Kinsley,  fornaerly  an  instructor  in  tlve. 
West  Point  Military  Academy.  • 

If  the  visiter  tarries  through  the  day  at  this  attractive 
place,  any  time  during  the  summer  months,  when  the  ho- 
tel is   usually  thronged  with  fashionable  people  from 


AND    IT8  VICINITY. 


s 


19 


every  section  of  iho  Union,  he  will  have  an  opportunity 
to  view  West  Point  in  all  its  loveliness. 

Cold  Spring  a  mile  or  more  above  West  Point,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  is  a  thrivins;  manufactur- 
ing villns^e.  Here  are  situateil  the  extensive  iron  works 
commonly  known  as  tiie  '*  West  Point  Foundry,"  and 
supposed  to  be  on  as  broad  a  scale  as  any  in  the  UnioU} 
ond  a  macliineshop,  givin*-?  constant  employment  to  about 
300  workmen.  The  lari^estkind  of  machinery  for  steam- 
boat and  other  purposes,  and  warlike  implements,  arc 
here  constructed.  The  ore  on  which  the  works  depend, 
is  found  in  the  immediate  vicinity  j  and  there  is  also  a 
quarry  of  j^'ranite  of  a  very  superior  quality,  easy  of  ac* 
cess  and  inexhaustible. 

Beacon  Hill  and  IJueakneck,  both  on  the  cast  side 
of  the  river,  are  situated  immediately  above  Cold  Spring, 
The  former,  sometimes  called  the  "  Grand  Sachem,''  is 
the  highest  peak  of  the  Higlilands,  being  elevated  1,685 
feet  above  the  river.  The  latter  presents  the  rocky  pro- 
jection called  the  *'  Upper  Anthomfs  Nose.^^ 

Chow's  Nest  and  Bl  tter  Hill,  are  situated  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river.  They  rise  abruptly  from  the  wa- 
ter's edge,  the  latter,  which  is  the  more  northerly  peak, 
lifts  its  summit  1,520  feet  above  the  Hudson  j  and  the 
other  is  nearly  as  high, 

Pollopel's  Island,  is  a  mass  of  rock  lying  in  the 
Hudson  river,  near  its  east  shore,  at  the  northern  en- 
trance into  the  Highlands,  G  miles  above  West  Point. 
Here  the  river  begins  to  widen  and  cxpnnd  to  ♦y?  width 
of  more  than  a  mile  for  some  5  or  6  miles,  for  which  dis* 
tancc  it  is  sometimes  called  Newbursh  Bay. 

Cornwall,  Canterbury  and  New-Windsor,  are 
small  villages  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  im- 
mediately above  the  Highlands.     The  last  named  village 


•v*. 


20 


HUDSON     RIVER 


being  distinguished  as  the   birth   place  of    De  Witt 
Clinton. 

Newburgh,  61  miles  north  of  New-York  and  84  south 
of  Albany,  is  pleasantly  situated  on  rising  ground,  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  river.  It  was  iacorporated  in  1800,  and 
now  contains  about  6,000  inhabitants,  1,000  dwelling 
houses,  a  court-house  and  jail,  this  being  a  half-shire  of 
Orange  county  ;  a  theological  seminary  under  the  direC' 
tion  of  the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  denomina- 
tion ;  an  incorporated  academy  ;  a  high  school,  two  fe- 
male seminaries  and  a  number  of  select  schools,  all  in  a 
flourishing  condition  ;  two  large  public  libaries  ;  eleven 
churches  of  different  denominations ;  three  banking  houses, 
fourteen  hotels  and  taverns  ;  150  stores  of  different  kinds ; 
nine  store-houses  j  five  freighting  establishments  ;  four 
steamboats  and  two  freight  barges,  running  to  and  from 
the  city  of  New-York,  besides  a  number  of  sloops  trad- 
ing to  different  places  en  the  Hudson  river,  and  schooners 
and  other  craft  running  to  southern  and  eastern  ports,  al- 
together transporting  an  immense  amount  of  lumber,  coal, 
plaster,  and  agricultural  and  manufactured  products  ;  two 
good  steamboats  also,  are  attached  to  the  ferry  between 
this  place  and  Fishkill  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
which  is  here  about  one  mile  in  width.  The  location  of 
Newburgh,  in  addition  to  its  romantic  beauty  and  healthi- 
ness, is  peculiarly  favorable  as  a  place  of  business,  being 
surrounded  by  a  rich  grazing  and  agricultural  region, 
celebrated  for  butter  and  live  stock.  The  Dclav;are  and 
Hudson  Railroad,  the  route  of  which  is  located  and 
partly  graded,  commences  at  the  village  of  Newburgh, 
and  runs  through  the  county  of  Orange  into  the  state  of 
New- Jersey.  It  is  intended  to  tap  the  coal  beds  of  Penn- 
sylvania, intersecting  the  New- York  and  Erie  Railroad 
at  or  near  Goshen, 


9 


AND    ITS  VIClKiTY. 


21 


Newburgli  was  for  a  period  the  head- quarters  of  Gen. 
Washington,  anl  at  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war, 
the  army  was  here  disbanded,  June  23,  1783.  The  cele- 
ebrated  Newburgh  Letters,  addressed  to  the  officers  and 
men  of  the  army,  were  here  dated,  supposed  to  have  been 
written  by  the  late  Gen.  John  Armstrong, 

It  is  proposed  to  erect  a  suitable  column  to  the  memory 
of  Washington,  in  front  of  the  old  stone  house,  in  the 
couth  part  of  this  village,  where  his  family  resided  ;  it 
is  to  be  from  80  to  100  feet  high,  constructed  of  white 
marble,  or  granite,  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $50,000.  It 
will  be  in  plain  sight  fron^  the  water,  commanding  one  of 
the  finest  prospects  on  the  Hudson, 

Stages  leave  Newburgh  for  Binghamton,  122  miles  dis- 
tant, where  they  connect  with   lines  running   north  and 
south,  and   with   a   line  continuing   west,    through  the 
southern  tier  of  counties,  to  Barcelona,  on  Lake  Erie. 
Stage  Route  from  Newburgh  to  Barcelona. 

Miles.\  Miles. 

Montgomery, 13  Factory ville, 8  162 

Bloomingburjjh,....    12    251  Athens,  Pa 3  165 

Wurtsboro, .  T 5     30  Elmira , 20  185 

MoNTiCELLo, 10    40  Corning, 16  201 

Painted  Post, 3  204 


Bethel, 10    50 

Delaware  River, . .  .   10    60 
Mount  Pleasant,  Pa.  20    80 

New-Milford, 22  102 

Great  Bend, 4  106 

Binghamton, 16  122 

Union, 6  128 

Nanticoke, 9  137 

OwEGO, 7  144 

Smithboro, 10  154 


Bath, 18  222 

Howard, 12  234 

Hornellsville, 10  244 

Angelica, 20  264 

Franklinville, 25  289 

Ellicottville,  ....  10  299 

Seelysburgh, 15  314 

Mayville, 35  349 

Barcelona, 8  357 


Fishkill  Landing,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  di- 
rectly opposite  Newburgh,  with  which  it  is  connected  by 
a  steam  ferry,  is  a  thriving  village  containing  about  900 
inhabitants,  and  surrounded  by  delightful  country  resi> 
dences. 


22 


HUDSON  -RIVER. 


Matteawan,  an  extensive  and  celebrated  manufac- 
turing village,  is  situate!  on  the  Fishkiil,  a  mile  and  a 
half  east  of  Fislikill  Landing. 

Glenham,  3  miles  from  the  landing,  is  also  a  cele- 
brated manufacturing  village,  celebrated  for  its  superior 
woollen  cloths. 

The  village  of  Fishkill,  is  pleasantly  situated  on  a 
plain,  5  miles  east  of  Fishkill  Landing,  and  C5  miles 
north  of  the  city  of  New^-York,  on  the  great  post  road  to 
Albany.  This  road,  from  Peekskill  to  Fishkill,  a  dis- 
tance of  19  miles,  traverses,  the  Highlands,  and  is  re- 
marKable  for  its  formidable  hills  and  the  wild  scenery  of 
this  mountain  route.  As  you  approach  Fishkill  from  the 
south,  the  character  of  the  scenery  suddenly  changes  to 
that  of  a  fertile  and  cultivated  farming  district. 

During  the  Revolutionary  war,  this  village  was  for  a 
period  the  head-quarters  of  the  American  army  ;  the 
church  is  still  standing  here,  in  which  Enoch  Crosby,  the 
spy  of  Revolutionary  memory,  was  confined  for  a  time  : 
his  escape  being  admirably  descibed  in  Cooper's  ro- 
mance of  the  "  Spy,"  under  the  assumed  name  of  Har* 
vey  Birch. 

New- Hamburgh,  6  miles  north  of  Newburgh,  is  a 
steamboat  landing  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  where 
Wappinger's  creek,  an  important  mill  stream,  empties 
into  the  Hudson. 

Hampton  is  another  landing  nearly  opposite,  being 
connected  with  New- Hamburgh  by  a  ferry.  One  or  two 
miles  north  is  the  village  of  Marlborough. 

Barnegat,  a  few  miles  above  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  is  celebrated  for  the  manufacture  of  large  quanti- 
ties of  lime. 

Milton,  9  miles  above  Newburgh,  and  4  miles  below 
Poughkeepsie,  is  a  convenient  steamboat  landing  j  the 
village  stands  about  half  a  mile  back  from  the  river. 


AND   ITS  VICINITY. 


23 


PoTTGHKEEPSiE,  is  handsomely  situated  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Hudson,  about  equi-distant  between  the  cities  of 
New- York  and  Albany,  being  74  miles  from  the  iormer, 
and  71  from  the  latter,  by  water.  It  was  incorporated 
in  1801,  and  now  contains  about  7,500  inhabitants,  mostly 
engaged  in  mercantile  and  manufacturing  pursuits  ;  1,000 
dwelling  houses,  many  of  them  tasty  edifices  ;  a  court- 
house, and  jail  and  county  poor-house  ;  a  splendid  colle- 
gia le  building  ;  the  Dutchess  Academy ;  two  female 
seminaries,  besides  several  select  schools  ;  a  lyceum  and 
reading  room ;  two  public  markets  ;  one  Presbyterian, 
one  Congregational,  two  Episcopal,  one  Baptist,  two 
Methodist,  one  Dutch  Keformed,  one  Universalist,  one 
Roman  Catholic,  and  one  African  Church,  and  two 
Friends'  meeting  houses  ;  three  banking  houses,  a  sav- 
ing's  institution,  and  an  incorporated  company  called  the 
*'  Dutchess  Whaling  Company,"  who  own  one  or  two 
ships  engaged  in  the  whale  trade.  Poughkecpsic  contains 
several  well  kept  hotels  and  taverns  j  25  dry  good  stores, 
50  groceries,  3  bookstores,  besides  a  large  number  of 
other  different  kinds  of  stores  and  shops  ;  also  two  brew^e- 
ries,  one  of  which  is  very  extensive,  perhaps  the  largest 
in  the  state,  being  capable  of  making  30,000  barrels  of 
beer  annually,  and  an  extensive  pin  manufacture.  Here 
are  ow^ned  three  steamboats,  three  freight  barges,  and 
eight  sloops,  engaged  in  transporting  produce  and  mer- 
chandise to  and  from  the  New-York  market,  and  other 
places  on  the  river.  No  place  on  the  Hudson  exceeds 
this  village  for  beauty  of  location  ;  it  is  surrounded  by 
one  of  the  richest  agricultural  districts  in  the  Union,  an! 
may  justly  be  ranked  as  the  queen  of  villages  in  the  Em- 
pire State. 

The  Poughkeepsie  Collegiate  School,  situated  on  Col' 
lege  Hilly  about  half  a  mile  northeast  of  the  compact 


24 


HUDSON     RIVER 


part  of  the  village,  is  unrivalled  in  its  location,  command- 
ing an  extensive  prospect  of  the  river  and  surrounding 
country,  which  cannot  fail  to  excite  the  admiration  of 
every  lover  of  picturesque  scenery ;  in  addition  to  the 
collegiate  building,  which  is  a  splenJid  edifice,  here  has 
recently  been  erected  an  extensive  gymnasium.  This  is  a 
well  established  and  flourishing  institution,  conducted  on 
philosophical  principles. 

Poughkeepsie,  is  a  corruption  of  the  Indian  word 
jSpokeepsing,  signifying  safe  harbor.  It  was  early  set- 
tied,  and  in  1788,  the  state  convention  met  here  to  ratify 
the  federal  Constitution  of  the  United  States  ;  previous  to 
that  date  the  state  legislature  frequently  convened  in  this 
village,  which  has  long  been  considered  a  favorite  place 
of  residence. 

The  Landing  opposite  Poughkeepsie,  is  in  the  town  of 
New-Paltz,  by  which  name  it  is  called.  A  ferry  here 
crosses  the  Hudson  ;  a  short  distance  from  the  river  is  a 
scattered  settlement.  Three  or  four  miles  above  Pough- 
keepsie, is  a  turn  in  the  river  called  Crum-Elbow. 

Hyde  Park,  80  miles  from  New- York  and  65  from 
Albany,  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Hudson.  The  principal  settlement  is  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  landing.  It  contains  3  churches,  2  public  houses, 
several  stores  and  shops,  and  50  or  60  dwelling  houses. 
No  section  of  the  country  between  New- York  and  Alba- 
ny, excels  this  part  of  Dutchess  county  for  the  beauty  of 
its  country  residences  ;  among  which,  the  elegant  man- 
sion and  grounds  of  the  late  Dr.  David  Hosack,  were 
conspicuous.  This  fine  seat  is  now  occupied  by  Mr. 
Langdon.  It  appears  to  great  advantage  from  the  river, 
standing  on  elevated  ground,  a  short  distance  north  of 
the  steamboat  landing.  At  Staatsburgh,  5  miles  north  of 
the  village  of  Hyde  Park,  is  situated  the  country  resi* 


\ 


AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


25 


dence  of  the  late  Gov.  Morgan  Lewis.  Esopus  Meadows, 
as  they  are  called,  6  or  7  miles  above  Hyde  Park,  are  ex- 
tensive marshes,  covered  with  water  during  high  lidej 
they  lie  opposite  the  town  of  Esopus  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river.  Pclham  is  a  small  landing  on  the  same  side, 
a  little  south  of  the  meadows. 

RoNDOuT,  89  miles  nort)i  of  the  city  of  New-York,  is 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  a  large  stream  of  the  same  name, 
where  there  is  a  lighthouse  built  by  the  United  States 
government.  This  is  a  place  of  considerable  trade,  con- 
taining an  active  population  of  about  1,500  inhabitants  ; 
many  of  whom  are  engaged  in  navigation,  and  others  are 
furnished  employment  by  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Ca- 
nal, which  terminates  at  Eddyville,  2  miles  above  Ron- 
dout.  The  canal  is  108  miles  in  length,  extending  in 
connection  with  a  railroad  of  16  miles,  to  the  coal 
mines  of  Pennsylvania.  From  the  mouth  of  Rondout 
creek  a  number  of  steamboats,  freight  barges,  and  sloops 
are  regularly  employed  in  carrying  an  immense  quantity 
of  Lackawaxen  coal,  lumber,  lime,  and  produce  of  differ- 
ent kinds.  Stages  run  from  this  place  to  the  village  of 
Kingston,  and  to  the  Landing  opposite  Rhinebeck,  where 
the  line  boats  land  and  receive  passengers  several  times 
daily. 

-  Kingston  Landing,  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Hudson  river,  90  miles  north  of  the  city  of  New- York  ; 
this  landing  was  formerly  called  Columbus  Point.  A 
steam  ferry  boat  here  plies  across  the  river. 

The  village  of  Kingston  is  handsomely  situated  on  a 
plain,  through  which  flows  the  Esopus  creek,  3  miles 
west  of  the  landing  on  the  river.  It  was  incorporated  in 
1805,  and  now  contains  about  2,300  inhabitants,  300  dwel- 
ling houses,  1  Reformed  Dutch,  1  Episcopal,  1  Baptist  and 
1  Methodist  church  ;  a  court  house  and  jail.  2  banking 


26 


HUDSON    RIVER 


houser.,  an  incorporated  academy,  in  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion, ani  0  female  seminary  ;  also  several  well  kept  pub» 
lie  house  j.  Stnges  leave  this  place  three  times  a  week 
for  Delhi,  Delaware  county;  atri-weekly  line  also  leaves 
for  Ellenvillc,  and  accommodation  stages  are  in  constant 
attendance,  and  run  to  the  several  steamboats  that  land 
aiid  receive  passengers  at  Rondout  and  Kingston  Land- 
ing. Kingston,  anciently  called  Esopus,  was  early  set* 
tied  by  the  Dutch,  many  of  whose  descendants  now  re. 
side  in  this  vicinity 

In  April,  1777,  the  first  convention  of  the  Representa- 
tives of  the  state  of  New- York  met  in  the  village  of 
Kingston,  and  formed  the  old  Constitution  of  the  state,  and 
on  the  16th  day  of  October  following,  it  was  taken  and 
burnt  by  the  British  army,  under  the  command  of  Gen^ 
Vaughan,  while  marching  to  the  relief  of  Gen.  Bur- 
goyne,  who  was  obliged  to  surrender  to  the  American 
army  on  the  following  day  at  Schuylerville.  Imme- 
mediately  after  destroying  the  village,  the  British  troops 
precipitately  retreated  to  their  vessels  lying  in  the  Hud- 
son river,  and  returned  to  the  city  of  New- York.  Some 
of  the  ruins  of  the  stone  buildings  were  standing  as  late 
as  1836,  when  the  last  of  the  walls  were  taken  down,  and 
the  Kingston  banking  house  erected  on  the  same  spot. 

Rhinebeck  Landing,  90  miles  from  New- York  and 
55  from  Albany,  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  river. 
In  this  vicinity  are  located  a  number  of  beautiful  coun- 
try residences  overlooking  the  Hudson. 

The  village  of  Rhinebeck  is  handsomely  situated  on  a 
plain,  2  miles  east  of  the  landing.  It  is  incorporated, 
and  now  contains  about  1,000  inhabitants.  This  vicinity 
was  early  settled  by  Dutch  families,  many  of  whose  de- 
scendants still  retain  the  habits  and   language  of  their 


AWD  ITS  VICINITY. 


27 


(I 


i 


forefathers,   and   are   a  frugal  and  prosperous  class  of 
citizens. 

Baruytown,  or  Rcdhooh  Lower  Landing^  also  on  the 
cast  side  of  the  Hudson,  is  97  miles  from  New- York;  and 
is  surrounded  by  several  deliglitful  country  residences, 
The  Catskill  31ountains,  in  the  west,  at  a  distance  of 
some  12  or  15  miles,  may  now  be  seen  from  the  river 
to  great  advantage  j  and  the  Catskill  Mountain  Honsej 
elevated  nearly  3,000  I'eet  above  the  Hudson,  is  distinctly 
visible  in  clear  weather.  It  stands  near  the  precipitous 
front  of  a  rocky  plateaUf  of  a  few  acres  in  extent,  called 
Pine  Orchard,  from  the  scattered  pines  which  formerly 
grew  out  from  the  fissures  of  the  rock.  H  commands  a 
vast  and  noble  prospect,  and  is  a  most  refreshing  retreat 
from  the  heats  of  summer. 

TivoLT,  or  Upper  Redhook  Landing j  100  miles  from 
New-York  and  45  miles  from  Albany,  is  a  regular  steam- 
boat landing  for  both  day  and  night  boats.  In  this 
vicinity  are  also  a  great  number  of  beautiful  country  re- 
sidences. The  villages  of  Uppkr  and  Lower  Redhook. 
are  situated  3  or  4  miles  from  the  river,  on  the  stage  road. 
In  the  Hudson,  near  Tivoli,  are  annually  taken  during 
the  months  of  May  and  June,  large  quantities  of  shad  and 
'herring.  A  steam  ferry-boat  here  plies  across  the  river, 
landing  on  the  west  side  near  the  iron  works  at  Sau- 
gerties. 

Saugeuties,  which  is  a  large  manufacturing  village 
by  the  chartered  name  of  Ulster,  situated  on  the  Esopus 
creek,  near  its  entrance  into  the  Hudson,  w  heie  is  a  water- 
fall affording  an  immense  hydraulic  power,  much  of 
which  is  advantageously  used  in  driving  diflerent  kinds 
of  machinery.  The  village  contains  about  2, COO  inhabi- 
tants, 300  dwelling  hoi^ses,  5  churches,  and  3  or  4  public 
houses.    A  steamboat  and  several  sloops  run  fr«m  the 


o^- 


ss 


HUDSON    RIVER 


mouth  of  the  creek,  although  the  usual  steamboat  land- 
ing  for  the  passage  boats  is  at 

Bristol,  or  Malden,  2  miics  above  Redhook,  and  1^ 
miles  from  Saugerties.  A  stage  runs  to  and  from  the 
landing  to  the  village,  on  the  arrival  and  departure  of  the 
steam  passage  boats. 

East  and  West  Camp,  a  few  miles  above  Bristol, 
are  old  Dutch  settlements  on  both  sides  of  the  river. 

The  village  of  Catskill,  111  miles  from  New- York 
and  34  miles  from  Albany,  is  situated  on  both  sides  of 
Catskillcreek,near  its  junction  with  the  Hudson;  the  prin- 
cipal street  being  about  half  a  mile  back  from  the  steam- 
boat  landing.  It  was  incorporated  in  1806,  and  now  con- 
tains about  2,800  inhabitants,  400  dwelling  houses,  a 
court-house  and  jail,  2  banking  houses,  5  churches,  and 
several  public  houses.  Here  is  owned  a  steamboat  and 
4  barges,  besides  several  sloops  employed  in  transport- 
ing produce  and  merchandise  to  and  from  the  city  of 
New- York  and  different  places  on  the  river.  A  ferry 
boat  plies  across  the  river  from  the  landing  at  this  place, 
to  Oak  Hill,  Columbia  county.  The  Catskill  and  Carta- 
joharie  Railroad  commences  at  this  village,  and  is  finish- 
ed a  distance  of  26  miles.  A  daily  line  of  stages  leave 
Catskill  for  Delhi,  Delaware  county,  and  two  tri-weekly 
lines  for  Ithaca,  at  the  head  of  Cayuga  lake,  and  Spra- 
ker's  Basin,  in  Montgomery  county;  the  latter  uniting 
with  the  Erie  Canal  and  western  railroads.  A  stage  runs 
from  Catskill  to  Hudson,  via  Athens,  twice  daily,  and  a 
stage  runs  semi- weekly  to  Prattsville,  via  Hunter  and 
Lexington.  Stages  also  run  daily  during  the  warm 
weather  from  the  steamboat  landing  to  the 

Catskill  Mountain  House,  at  the  Pine  Orchard, 
distant  about  12  m'les  from  Catskill.     The  following  ifl 


' 


1 


AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


29 


I 


' 


a  glowing  description  of  this  well  known,  and  charming 
Bummer  retreat : 

''  Pine  Orchard,  forming  a  part  of  thd  Catskill  moun- 
tain range,  is  situated  about  12  miles  from  Catskill, 
Greene  county.  It  is  elevated  3,000  feet  above  the  tide 
waters  of  the  Hudson,  which  noble  stream,  and  the  sur- 
rounding country,  it  overlooks  for  a  great  distance,  af- 
fording a  varied  and  extensive  view  of  the  greatest  in- 
terest. On  the  summit  is  erected  a  large  and  commodious 
public  house,  called  the  Mountain  House,  for  the  accomo- 
dation of  visiters,  who  resort  here  in  great  numbers 
during  the  summer  months.  In  this  vicinity  are  other 
mountain  peaks  of  still  greater  elevation,  and  waterfalls 
of  the  most  wild  and  romantic  character,  altogether  form- 
ing unrivalled  attractions,  which  are  well  worthy  of  a 
visit.  From  this  lofty  eminence  all  inequaliiies  of  sur- 
face are  overlooked.  A  seemingly  endless  succession  of 
woods  and  wat<?rs,  farms  and  villages,  towns  and  cities, 
are  spread  out  as  upon  a  boundless  map.  Far  in  the  east 
rise  the  Taghkanic  mountains,  and  the  highlands  of  Con- 
necticut and  Massachusetts.  To  the  left,  and  at  a  still 
greater  distance,  the  Green  mountains  of  Vermont  stretch 
away  to  the  north,  and  their  blue  summits  and  the  blue 
sky  mingle  together.  The  beautiful  Hudson,  studded 
with  islands,  appears  narrowed  in  the  distance,  with 
steamboats  almost  constantly  in  sight  j  while  vessels  of 
every  description  spreading  their  white  canvass  to  the 
breeze,  are  moving  rapidly  over  its  surface,  or  idly  loit- 
ering in  the  calm.  These  may  be  traced  to  the  distance 
of  nearly  seventy  miles  with  the  naked  eye  j  and  again 
at  times  all  below  is  enveloped  in  dark  clouds  and  rolling 
mist,  which,  driven  about  by  the  wind,  is  constantly  as- 
suming new,  wild  and  fantastic  forms.  From  Pine  Orch- 
ard, a  ride  or  walk  of  a  mile  or  two  brings  you  to  the 


30 


HUDSON     RIVER 


Kaaterskill  fulls.  Here  the  outlet  of  two  small  lakes 
leaps  down  a  pcrpcn  licular  fall  of  130  feet,  then  glides 
away  through  a  channel  worn  in  the  rock,  to  a  second 
fall  of  80  feet.  Below  this  it  is  lost  in  the  dark  ravine 
through  which  it  finJs  its  way  to  the  valley  of  the 
Catskili." 

The  City  of  Hudson,  situate  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  116  miles  from  New-York,  anJ  29  miles  from  Al- 
bany, is  a  place  of  much  trade  and  importance.  It  lies 
near  the  hea  1  of  ship  navigation,  and  was  formerly  cele- 
brated for  being  largely  engaged  in  the  West  India  trade, 
and  more  recently  in  the  whale  fishery.  Hudson  was 
first  settle!  in  1783,  by  Thomas  Jenkins  and  others,  most 
of  whom  were  Quakers,  from  Massachusetts  nnd  Rhode 
Island.  The  city  was^chartered  in  1785,  and  is  divided 
into  2  wards ;  in  ISIO,  it  contained  5^670  inhabitants, 
about  800  dwelling  houses,  a  court-house  and  jail,  with  a 
beautiful  while  marble  front,  surmounted  by  a  dome;  8 
churches  of  different  denominations,  including  2  Friends* 
meeting  houses  ;  2  banks,  2  public  markets,  and  5  hotels. 
The  Hudson  Academy  at  this  place,  is  an  old  chartered 
institution,  and  the  Hudson  Female  Seminary  is  a  new 
and  flourishing  joarding  school  for  young  ladies ;  besides 
which  there  are  several  schools,  both  male  and  female. 
The  Franklin  Library  Association  is  a  young  and  popular 
institution,  to  which  is  attitchei  a  large  library  and  phi- 
losophical  apparatus.  The  Hudson  Lunatic  Asylum  is 
situated  on  State-street,  on  the  north  side  of  the  city,  facing 
the  court  house  on  the  south.  This  useful  and  flourishing 
institution,  under  the  control  of  the  proprietors,  Drs.  S„ 
and  G.  H.  White,  contains  at  present  about  40  patients* 
Since  the  opening  of  this  institution,  up  to  Jan.  1841,  a  pe- 
riod of  eleven  years,  503  patients  have  been  admitted,  most 
of  whom  have  been  permanently  cured,  or  greatly  bene- 


I 


AND    ITS  VICINITY. 


31 


filed.  The  city  is  supplied  by  pure  and  wholesome 
water  by  a  chartered  aqueduct  company,  who  brins  the 
water  in  iron  pipes  from  a  sprin'jr  al)out  2  miles  distant. 
The  Hudson  and  Bcrk.shire  Rail-road  commences  at  this 
place,  and  extcmls  to  West  Stockbri  Ige,  Mass.  a  distance 
of  34  miles;  ruiniine;  within  7  miles  of  Lebanon  S])rings, 
whicli  are  much  resorted  to  during  the  summer  months. 
The  New-York  and  Albany  steamboats  land  and  receive 
passengers  several  times  daily,  durins;  the  season  of  navi. 
gation,  in  a  1  lition  to  the  passage  and  freight  boats  which 
run  to  anl  from  New-York  direct,  thus  aflbrding  a  speedy 
communication  between  the  cities  of  New-York  and  Bos- 
ton, a  totil  distance  by  this  route  of  about  300  miles, 
extenJing  through  an  interesting  country. 

A  steam  ferry  boat  crosses  the  river  from  Hudson  to 
Athkns,  a  chartered  village  on  the  west  shore  contain- 
ing about  1,300  inhabitants. 

Four  Milk  Point,    120   miles   above  New- York,    is 
considerel   the   head  of   ship   navigation   on  the  Hud- 
son.    Kinderhook  creek  here  enters  the  river  on  the  east 
y 

side,  and  nrtir  its   mouth   is   situated  the  manufacturing 

village  of  COLUMBIAVILLE. 

CoxsACKiE  Landing,  8  miles  above  Hutlson,  is  situa- 
ted on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson  22  miles  below 
the  city  of  Albany.  Here  are  three  seperate  land- 
ings within  the  distance  of  a  mile,  altogether  contain- 
ing about  1,200  inhabitants,  150  dwelling  houses,  1 
Dutch  Relbrmel,  1  Baptist,  and  1  Methodist  church  ; 
an  academy,  4  public  houses,  16  stores  of  different  kinds 
and  15  warehouses;  1  steam  plaster  mill  and  1  furnace  j 
1  ship  yard  and  2  dry  docks  for  building  and  repairing 
vessels;  19  extensive  brick  yards  where  are  manufactured 
yearly  about  30  millions  of  bricks.    This  is  also  a  conve- 


I 


32 


iiunaoif  RivKR 


nient  steamboat  landing,  at  which  steamboats  touch  seve- 
ral times  tlaily,  during  the  season  of  navigation. 

The  village  of  Coxsackie,  1  mile  west  of  the  landing, 
contains  about  500  inhabitants,  and  is  surrounded  by  fer- 
tile lands,  extending  to  the  base  of  the  llelderberg  moun- 
tains, 

Stuyvksant,  4  miles  further  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  is  a  nourishing  place  of  business,  from  which 
large  quantities  of  produce  are  annually  sent  to  the  Xew- 
York  market,  the  country  in  the  interior  being  justly 
celebrated  for  its  fertility. 

A  short  distance  north  is  the  steamboat  landing  for  the 
above  place,  and  for  the  village  of  Kindkriiook  situated 
about  5  miles  east  of  the  river,  and  noted  for  the  beauty 
of  its  location.  It  is  the  birthplace  of  ex- President 
Van  Buren,  and  his  present  residence  is  a  pleasant  seat 
about  two  miles  south  of  the  village. 

New  Baltimore,  4  miles  above,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Hudson,  and  14  miles  from  Albany,  is  a  village  of  about 
400  inhabitants.  Here  is  a  convenient  steamboat  land- 
ing, where  the  passage  boats  usually  land  and  receive 
passengers. 

CoEYMANS,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  12  miles  be- 
low Albany,  is  the  last  landing  the  boats  make  on  their 
upward  trips.  The  village  contains  about  700  inhabi- 
tants,  and  here  are  owned  several  sloops  trading  with 
the  New-York  market.  Barren  hland,  Ij'ing  imme- 
diately below  the  village  of  Coeymans,  is  on  the  south 
bounds  of  the  old  colony  of  Rensselaerwyck,  and  was  for- 
tified and  garrisoned  by  one  of  the  early  Patroons,  in  1644. 
All  foreign  traders  were  here  obliged  to  come  to,  and 
learn  the  terms*  on  which  the  port  of  the  colony  might  be 
entered.  It  now  presents  a  rocky  and  sterile  appearance 
being  well  adapted  for  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  ori- 


AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


33 


I 


finally  occupied,  as  it  completely  commands  the  channel 
of  the  river. 

Castleton,  4  miles  above  Coeymans  and  8  miles  from 
Albany,  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  Here  is  forming 
a  bar  in  the  ciiannel  of  the  river,  which  is  very  injurious 
to  navigation. 

The  OvEHSLAUGH.  3  miles  below  the  city  of  Albany, 
has  heretofore  formed  the  principal  obstruction  to  the 
free  navigation  of  the  Hudson  on  its  tide  waters.  Here 
were  several  bars  or  flats,  with  narrow  channels,  afl'ord- 
ing  at  low  tides  but  a  small  depih  of  water — this  obstruc- 
tion, however,  has  of  late  been  mostly  removed  by  an 
expenditure  by  the  United  States  Government,  the  depth 
of  the  water  being  materially  increased,  the  channel 
made  straight,  and  the  navigation  much  improved, 

Greenbcsh,  opposite  the  south  part  of  the  city  of 
Albany,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a  steam  ferry  boat, 
contains  about  900  inhabitants.  Immediately  above  may 
be  seen  the  new  depot  and  buildings  attached  to  the  Bos- 
ton Railroad.  From  the  depot  at  Greenbush  to  the  city 
c  Troy,  a  distance  of  6  miles,  a  branch  railroad  is  now 
in  progress  of  construction. 

ALBANY,  the  capital  of  the  State,  and  one  of  the 
oldest  cities  in  the  Union,  is  eligibly  situated  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Hudson  river,  145  miles  north  of  the  city  of  New- 
Yorkj  325  miles  by  railroad,  east  of  Buffalo;  200  west 
of  Boston,  and  250  south  of  Montreal.  It  was  originally 
called  *'  Beaver  Wyck"  (i.  e.  Beaver  Town,)  and  after- 
ward '*  Williamstadt,"  It  received  its  present  name  in 
1664,  in  honor  of  James,  duke  of  York  and  Albany,  af- 
terwards James  II.,  in  whose  reign  the  original  city  char- 
ter was  granted  by  Governor  Dongar ,  July  22,  16S6,  and 
the  government  vested  in  ''The  Mayor,  Aldermen  and 
Comironalty  of  the  city  of  Albany,"   consisting  of  the 


34 


HUDSON    RIVER 


f 


u 


Mayor,  Recorder,  ten  Aldermen  and  ten  Assistants. 
The  charter  has  been  materially  altered  by  recent  enact- 
ments of  the  Legislature ;  the  assistant  aldermen  are 
merged  in  ten  aldermen,  but  the  corporate  name  is  still 
preserved.  It  is  now  divided  into  10  wards.  In  1840,  its 
population  was  33,721. 

It  is  indebted  for  its  prosperity  to  the  enterprise  of  its 
inhabitants,  and  the  impulse  given  to  its  trade  by  the  Erie 
and  Champlain  canals,  which  unite  about  9  miles  to  the 
north,  anl  enter  the  Hudson  river  at  the  north  -end  of  the 
city.  A  basin  has  been  formed  in  front  of  the  city,  pro- 
tected from  the  river  by  a  pier  one  mile  and  a  quarter 
in  length,  furnishing  a  safe  harbor,  for  vessels  and  se- 
curing them  from  injury  by  the  ice,  which  in  the  spring 
freshets,  comes  down  the  river  in  immense  quantities, 
sometimes  causing  great  damage.  The  city  is  command- 
ing in  its  situation,  and  appears  to  great  advantage  from 
the  river.  There  are  three  ravines  running  from  east  to 
west,  known  as  the  Foxes  Kill,  the  Rutten  Kill,  and  the 
Beaver  Kill,  on  each  side  of  which  the  land  is  high,  be- 
ing at  an  elevation  of  from  140  to  160  feet  above,  and 
gradually  ascending  from  the  river.  The  view  from 
either  of  the  heights  is  picturesque  in  the  highest  de- 
gree. To  the  north  may  be  seen  the  city  of  Troy  and 
the  adjacent  villages,  and  in  the  distance  the  hills  of  Ver- 
mont. To  the  east  the  beautiful  extent  of  country  lying 
beyond  the  Hudson  river,  and  to  the  south  the  Helder- 
bergs.  and  Catskill  mountai.is.  The  public  buildings  are 
of  the  most  beautiful  and  tasteful  character.  The  Capi- 
tol, occupied  by  the  legislature  and  the  state  courts  j  the 
Stjie  Hall,  just  completed,  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
public  offices;  the  City  Hall,  occupied  for  city  and  county 
purposes,  and  by  the  United  States  Courts  ;  and  the  Al- 
bany Academy,    having  300   pupils,    face    the    public 


AND  ITS   VICINITY. 


35 


its 


square  at  the  head  of  State-street.  This  square  is  form- 
ed by  the  Capitol  and  Academy  Parks,  which  are  enclosed 
with  substantial  iron  fences,  erected  on  stone  bases,  and 
are  laid  out  with  walks  lined  with  ornamental  trees  of 
the  choicest  species.  A  more  delightful  spot  in  the  sum- 
mer, is  not  to  be  found  in  any  inland  city  in  the  Union. 
A  few  rods  south^  of  the  square,  on  Eagle-street,  is  the 
County  Jail  and  the  Medical  College.  This  College  was 
incorporated  in  1839,  and  occupies  a  building  granted  to 
it  by  the  corporation  of  the  city,  admirably  adapted  for  its 
purposes.  The  College  already  possesses  one  of  the 
most  valuable  museums  in  the  country,  which  has  recent- 
ly been  greatly  enlarged  and  enriched,  by  specimens  im- 
ported direct  from  Germany  and  France.  In  addition  to 
the  Academy  spoken  of,  there  is  a  Female  Academy, 
which  has  annually  from  300  to  330  pupils.  This  insti- 
tution ranks  high,  and  occupies  a  handsome  and  con- 
venient edifice  in  North  Pearl-street.  Connected  with 
it  is  the  Albany  Library,  numbering  9,000  volumes. 
The  Albany  Exchange,  situated  at  the  foot  of  State- 
street,  is  a  large  and  commodious  building,  constructed  of 
granite.  It  is  occupied  for  stores,  offices  of  professional 
men,  and  the  post-office.  The  Young  Men's  Association, 
established  for  "  Mutual  Improvement,"  also  occupies 
rooms  in  this  building;  it  was  the  pioneer  institution  of 
its  kind  in  this  state,  and  embraces  all  ranks  and  profes- 
sions, now  numbering  1,500  members.  It  has  an  exten- 
sive reading  room,  supplied  with  the  leading  newspapers 
of  this  country  and  England;  also  a  room,  furnished  with 
the  most  popular  and  standard  per'odicals  and  reviews, 
native  and  foreign;  an  excellent  library  of  about  3,200 
volumes,  and  a  lecture  room  capable  of  seating  300  per- 
sons, in  which  two  lectures  a  week  are  delivered,  from 
the  fii«t  of  December  to  the  first  of  March.     Strangers 


36 


HUDSON    RIVER 


1 


have  free  access  to  all  except  the  lecture  room  and  library. 
There  are  4  Presbyterian  churches,  1  Associate  do.,  3 
Dutch  Reformed,  1  Unitarian,  4  Methodist  Episcopal,  1 
African  do.,  3  Baptist,  1  colored  do.,  2  Lutheran,  3 
Episcopalian,  1  Universalist,  3  Roman  Catholic,  1  Inde- 
pendent church,  1  Mission  House,  2  Jewish  Synagogues, 
1  Bethel  and  1  Friends'  Meeting  House. 

The  old  State  Hall,  recently  occupied  for  state  offi- 
ces, is  converted  into  a  museum  for  the  reception  of  the 
geological  cabinet  formed  under  the  direction  of  the 
State  geological  ourveyors.  The  New- York  State  Agri- 
cultural Society,  also  here  hold  their  meetings  in  a  room 
reserved  for  Jiat  purpose.  The  other  public  institutions 
whose  meetings  are  held  at  Albany,  are  the  New- York 
State  Temperance  Society,  and  the  State  Medical  Society. 
There  are  also,  in  the  city,  in  addition  to  those  men- 
tioned, various  benevolent,  religious  and  scientific  institu 
tions  ;  among  them  the  Albany  Institute,  with  a  valuable 
library  and  extensive  museum,  occupying  a  room  in  the 
Albany  Academy. 

The  principal  hotels  in  Albany,  are,  the  American  Ho- 
tel, 100  State-street;  City  Hotel,  23  Broadway;  Clin- 
ton  Hotel,  19  South  Pearl-street;  Columbian  Hotel,  161 
Market- street;  Congress  Hall,  Park  Place,  near  the 
Capitol;  Delavan  Temperance  House,  77  Broadway; 
Eagle  Tavern,  105  Market-street;  Eastern  Railroad  Ho- 
tel, 155  and  157  Market-street;  Fort  Orange  Hotel,  153 
Market- street;  Franklin  House,  136  and  138  State-street; 
Mansion  House,  24  Broadway;  Montgomery  Hall,  56 
Market-street;  Plough  Hotel,  126  State-street;  Railroad 
Hotel,  Stanwix  Hall,  corner  of  Broadway  and  Maiden 
Lane;  Railroad  House,  266  Market-street;  United  States 
House,  117  Market-street;  United  States  Hotel,  91  Wash- 
ington-street; Washington  Hall,  29  South  Pearl-street. 


AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


37 


The  trade,  commerce  and  manufactures  of  Albany  are 
very  considerable;  in  the  year  1842,  27  steamboats  and 
51  tow  boats  plied  regularly  between  Albany  and  New- 
York  and  the  intermediate  places  on  the  Hudson  river. 
The  Mohawk  and  Hudson  Railroad,  among  the  first 
roads  built  in  the  country,  and  connected  with  the  Utica 
and  Schenectady  and  Saratoga  and  Schenectady  Rail- 
roads, terminates  at  Albany.  An  arrangement  is  about 
to  be  made  by  which  the  inclined  planes,  which  form  so 
great  an  objection  to  this  road,  are  to  be  dispensed  with. 
The  Albany  and  West  Stockbridge  Railroad  connects  the 
Western  Railroad  at  the  state  line  between  Massachu- 
setts and  New- York,  forming  a  continuous  line  of  rail- 
roads from  Albany  to  Boston.  In  addition  to  the  rail- 
road and  steamboat  lines,  there  are  eighteen  lines  of 
stages  running  from  Albany  to  different  places.  It  is  es- 
timated that  1,100  passengers  arrive  and  depart  daily. 

The  termination  of  the  canals  and  railroads  at  Albany, 
renders  it  the  centre  of  trade  and  trans-shipment,  and  has 
opened  to  the  enterprise  of  her  merchants  and  artisans 
an  extent  of  country  iinsurpassed  in  its  wealth  and  re- 
sources. 

Distances  from  Albany  to  Boston,  by  Railroad  : 

To  West  Stockbridge 38  Miles. 

State  Line  to  Pittsfield,  Western  R.R.  )  11     49     '< 
Springfield,  do.  >  53   102     •' 

Worcester,  do.  )  54  156     " 

Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad,  ....     44  200     '* 

Distances  from  Albany  to  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington, by  Steamboat  and  Railroad  Route: 

t^ew-York,  by  steamboat, 145  Miles. 

Philadelphia,  6y  rail-road, 86  231     ** 

Baltimore,  '•  96  327     '* 

Washington,  **  38  365    " 


3S 


HUDSON    RIVER 


Distances  from  Albany   to  Buffalo,  by  Railroad: 

Mohawk  and  Hudson  Railroadj  ....  16  Miles, 

Utica  and  Schenectady       "         ....  77     93     '' 

Syracuse  and  Utica,             ''          ....  63  146     " 

Auburn  and  Syracuse,        "         26  172     " 

Auburn  and  Rochester,      ^'         ....  79  251     ** 

Tonawanda,  via  Batavia, 43  294     '* 

Attica   and  Buffalo, 31325     " 

Distances  from  Albany  to  Montreal,    via  Sara- 
toga SpriUsgs  and  Lake  Champlain  : 

To  Troy,  by  stage, 6  Miles, 

Ballston  Spa,  by  rail-road, 24     30     ** 

Saratoga  Springs,       *'           .... 7     37     ** 

Whitehall,  61/ s^age, 39     76     •' 

St.  John's,  Canada,  steamboat, 150  226     '* 

La  Prairie,  by  rail-road, 15  241     " 

Montreal,  by  steamboat, 9  250     '* 


We  copy  the  following  extract  relating  to  the  early 
history  of  xYlbany: 

"  The  younger  race  of  fashionables  and  semi-fashiona- 
bles know  Albany,  or  affect  to  know  it,  merely  as  a  big 
city-looking  place,  full  of  taverns  and  hotels,  where  they 
land  from  the  steamboat,  on  their  way  to  Saratoga,  Ni- 
agara or  Quebec.  Another  set  of  less  locomotive  good 
folks,  especially  in  New-York  and  Philadelphia,  have  no 
notions  about  it,  but  those  derived  from  the  old  tradition- 
ary jokes  upon  its  ancient  Schepens  and  Schoutens,  its 
burly  Burgomasters,  '  its  lofty  spires  glittering  with  tin. 
and  hospitable  boards  smoking  with  sturgeon.' 

''But  in  honest  truth,  there  are  few  cities  of  the  size 
any  where,  which  can  exhibit  a  greater  or  a  more  agree- 
able variety  of  society  and  manners.  In  Albany  may  be 
Ibund  talent  and  learning,  accomplishment  and  beauty. 
The  towns  of  Europe  of  the  same  size  and  relative  im- 
portance, can  in  this  respect  bear  no  sort  of  comparison 
with  it.     Then,  too,  its  situation,  the  prospect  from  its 


AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


39 


higher  grounds  and  streets  abound  in  scenes  meet  for 
romantic  fiction.  Albany  is  rich  also  in  more  sober,  but 
equally  interesting  recollections  of  our  national  history. 
There,  (to  use  the  once  familiar  personification  in  which 
Indian  oratory  delighted  to  speak  of  the  French  ;  I  Eng- 
lish governments,)  Corlaer  and  Ononthio  were  wont  to 
meet  and  plant  the  tree  of  peace,  or  else  extinguish  their 
council  fire  and  part  in  wrath.  There,  about  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  (1751,)  the  governors  of  the  several 
provinces  met  the  chiefs  of  the  Six  Nations,  and  the  am- 
bassadors of  the  Catawbas  and  other  southern  tribes, 
and  buried  the  hatchet  between  the  whole  Indian  race  on 
this  continent,  and  p^inte  1  the  tree  of  peace  in  Fort 
Orange.*  There,  three  years  after,  was  held  that  first 
General  Congress,  in  whieU  the  earliest  arrangements  for 
national  defence  were  maae,  and  where,  by  one  of  those 
remarkable  coincidences  with  which  the  hand  of  Provi- 
dence has  legibly  inscribed  the  evidence  of  its  own  work- 
ings in  every  part  of  our  national  history,  upon  the  fourth 
of  July,  1754,  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  other  patriots  des- 
tined to  the  highest  honors  of  their  country,  signed  the 
first  plan  of  American  Union,  and  proclaimed  to  the 
colonies  that  they  were  one  people,  fit  to  govern  and  able 
to  protect  themselves.  Why  need  I  speak  of  the  events 
of  the  Revolution?  At  Albany,  in  the  most  eventful 
periods  of  that  struggle,  Montgomery,  and  Schuyler,  and 
Gates,  and  the  elder  Clinton,  in  turns  planned  or  directed 
the  operations  of  war,  while  the  civil  wisdom  and  moral 
courage  of  Jay,  gave  new  confidence  to  public  spirit,  and 
fresh  vigor  to  our  counsels." 


*On  the  spot  where  now  stands  the  house  formerly  occupied  by  the 
venerable  Simeon  De  Witt,  for  many  years  Surveyor-General  of  the 
State,  and  at  present  known  as  the  Fort  Orange  Hotel,  situated  in 
Market-street,  near  Lydiue-.Jtreet. 


40 


HUDSON    RIVER 


L"  ' 


ALBANY,    NINETY    YEARS    SINCE, 

The  following  description  of  Albany,  is  taken  from 
Mrs.  Grant's  interesting  "Memoirs  of  an  American 
Lady." 

**The  city  of  Albany  was  stretched  along  the  banks 
of  the  Hudson  ;  one  very  wide  and  long  street  lay  paral- 
lel to  the  river,  the  intermediate  space  between  it  and  the 
shore  being  occupied  by  gardens.  A  small,  but  sleep  hill 
rose  above  the  centre  of  the  town,  on  which  stood  a  forty 
intended  (but  very  ill  adapted,)  for  the  defence  of  the 
place,  and  of  the  neghboring  country.  From  the  foot  of 
this  hill,  another  street  was  built,  [now  Slate-street,} 
sloping  pretty  rapidly  down  till  it  joined  the  one  before 
mentioned  that  ran  along  the  river.  This  street  was  still 
wider  than  the  other  ;  it  was  only  paved  on  each  side, 
the  middle  being  occupied  by  public  edifices.  These  con- 
sisted of  a  market  place,  or  guard-house,  a  town  hall, 
and  the  English  and  Dutch  churches.  The  English 
church  stood  at  the  upper  end  of  the  street;  the  Dutch 
church  was  situated  at  the  bottom  of  the  descent  where 
the  street  terminated.  The  town  in  proportion  to  its 
population,  occupied  a  great  space  of  ground.  This  city, 
in  short,  was  a  kind  of  semi-rural  establishment;  every 
house  had  its  garden,  a  well,  and  a  little  green  behind, — 
before  every  door  a  tree  was  planted,  rendered  interest- 
ing by  being  coeval  with  some  beloved  member  of  the 
family." 


The  City  of  Troy,  151  miles  north  of  New-York,  is 
pleasantly  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Hudson  river,  at 
the  head  of  tide  water  and  steamboat  navigation,  6  miles 
above  Albany.  Its  existence  as  a  village,  may  be  dated 
from  1790.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1816,  when 
it  contPiJied   nearly  5,000  inhabitants  j  it  has  recently 


AND    ITS    VICINITY. 


^l 


been  made  a  port  of  entry,  and  contained  in  1840,  19,334 
inhabitants,  who  are  mostly  engaged  in  commerce,  naviga- 
tion and  manufactures.  Since  the  completion  of  the  Erie 
and  Champlain  canals  in  1825,  which,  opposite  this  place, 
at  the  village  of  West  Troy,  unite  the  waters  of  the 
lakes  with  those  of  the  Hudson,  Troy  has  rapidly  in- 
creased in  wealth  and  population.  Here  are  a  fine  court* 
housPj  built  of  marble,  in  the  Grecian  Doric  order  ;  a 
jail  constructed  of  brick  ;  a  county  poor-house,  to  which 
a  farm  containing  about  200  acres  is  attached  j  the  Rens- 
selaer Institute,  founded  by  the  late  Hon.  Stephen  Van 
Rensselaer,  where  the  sciences  are  practically  taught  ; 
the  Troy  Female  Seminary,  a  flourishing  chartered  insti- 
tution ;  the  Troy  Academy,  also  an  excellent  classical  and 
chartered  institution  for  the  education  of  boys,  besides 
several  select  schools  for  males  and  females.  Troy  con- 
tains two  new,  finely  modelled  and  expensive  market 
buildings  ;  seven  Presbyterian  churches,  three  Episcopal, 
two  Baptist,  two  Methodist,  one  Catholic,  one  Univer- 
salist,  one  Friend's  meeting  house  and  an  African  churchj 
six  banks,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  $1,568,000  j  two 
insurance  companies  ;  onelyceum  of  natural  history,  with 
a  choice  scientific  library,  and  an  extensive  collection  of 
minerals  and  collections  in  various  branches  of  natural 
history  ;  a  Young  Men's  Association  for  mutual  improve- 
ment, with  a  large  library  and  extensive  reading  room. 
The  public  houses  in  Troy  are  numerous,  and  several 
of  them  celebrated  for  being  well  regulated  establish- 
ments :  The  principal  hotels  are  the  American  Hotel, 
Fourth,  corner  of  Elbow-street ;  Mansion  House,  4 
Washington-square  ;  Mechanic's  Hall,  140  River-street ; 
National  Temperance  House,  River,  corner  of  Ferry- 
street  ;  Northern  Hotel,  394  River-street ;  Troy  House, 
River,  corner  of  First-street ;  Washington  Hall,  331 
River-street ;  York  House,  252  River-street. 


I 


ft 

f 


42 


HUDSON  Rivr.n 


Here  are  owned  about  60  masted  vessels,  four  large 
passage  steamboats  of  the  first  class,  two  smaller  steam 
passage  boats  and  five  steam  tow  boats  with  22  barges, 
which  ply  between  "J'roy  and  New- York,  transporting 
annually  an  immense  amount  of  produce  and  merchan- 
dise. Four  lines  of  passage  and  freight  boats  run  on  the 
Champlain  canal  from  Troy  ;  a  line  of  packet  schooners  run 
from  this  place  to  Boston,  and  other  eastern  ports  ;  a  line 
of  canal  packets  to  Whitehall,  and  lines  of  daily  stages 
run  to  Whitehall,  and  Bennington,  Vt.,  and  to  Brattleboro, 
Vt.,  and  Boston.  The  water  power  at  Troy  is  immense, 
and  a  large  portion  of  it  still  unoccupied.  AVithin  the 
limits  of  the  city  and  about  a  mile  east  of  the  Hudson,  a 
tunnel  has  been  excavated  by  Mr.  Benj.  Marshall,  ex- 
tending from  the  Poestenkiil,  a  distance  of  about  800  feet, 
and  gives  a  fall  of  180  feet.  Several  large  mills  and  fac- 
tories to  be  supplied  with  water  from  this  fall,  are  now 
in  the  progress  of  erection.  Near  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  city  a  dam  has  been  built  across  the  Hudson,  by 
the  state,  which  here  makes  a  fall  of  11^  feet  and  creates 
an  incalculable  amount  of  hydraulic  power.  This  place 
is  abundantly  supplied  with  wholesome  water,  brought 
from  the  Piscawin  creek,  through  large  iron  pipes  with 
hydrants  at  the  torners  of  the  streets. 

The  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  Railroad  commences  at 
this  place,  crossing  the  Hudson  river  by  a  substantial 
bridge  1,650  feet  in  length,  to  Green  island  j  thence  it 
continues  north  across  several  branches  of  the  Mohawk 
river  to  Waterford  ;  following  the  valley  of  the  Hudson 
until  it  reaches  Mechanicsville,  where  it  diverges  to  the 
west  and  continues  to  the  village  of  Ballston  Spa,  a  dis- 
tance of  24  miles,  and  unites  with  the  Saratoga  and  Sche- 
nectady Railroad.  The  Schenectady  and  Troy  Railroad 
21  miles  in  length,  was  completed  in  1842 ;  it  communi- 


jy 


AND    ITS   VICINITY. 


43 


cates  with  the  western  roads  at  Schenectady,  and  will  be 
extended  to  Greenbush,  on  the  ea&it  side  of  tjie  Ihidson 
river,  opposite  Albany  ;  there  to  connect  with  the  Alba- 
ny and  West  Stockbridge  railroad,  which,  when  completed 
will  make  a  direct  railroad  communication  from  Troy  to 
Boston,  and  furnish  a  continuous  line  of  railroads  from 
Boston  to  Buffalo.  There  is  also  a  macadamised  road 
already  finished  from  Troy  to  Bennington,  Vt.,  a  distance 
of  about  20  miles.  Troy  is  connected  with  the  village  of 
West  Troy,  in  Albany  Co.,  which  has  risen  into  impor- 
tance within  a  few  years,  by  means  of  a  commodious 
bridge  and  two  ferries  crossing  the  Hudson  river. 

The  city  of  Troy  has  long  been  celebrated  for  its  beau- 
ty and  healthiness.  The  streets  are  laid  out  at  right  an- 
gles, are  generally  wide,  remarkable  for  their  cleanliness, 
and  planted  with  beautiful,  and  in  the  hot  season,  most 
grateful  forest  and  shade  trees.  From  Mounts  Ida  on  the 
east  and  Olympus  on  the  north,  an  extensive  and  charm- 
ing prospect  is  presented,  embracing  a  view  of  the  valley 
of  the  Hudson  for  miles,  the  city  of  Albany,  the  villages 
of  West  Troy,  Lansingburgh,  Waterford  and  Cohoes, 
and  the  Cohoes  Falls  ;  a  landscape  presenting  more  beauty 
and  a  greater  variety  of  scenery,  can  hardly  be  imagined. 
From  the  elevations  just  mentioned,  the  eye  rests  at  once, 
as  on  a  map  spread  out  before  it,  on  city  and  village  teem- 
ing with  life  and  activity — the  broad  Hudson  rolling  on 
in  majesty  to  the  ocean,  and  bearing  on  its  bosom  fleets 
of  boats  and  vessels — a  long  extent  of  the  Erie  canal,  it- 
self no  common  stream,  floating  to  market  the  products 
of  the  west — railroads,  over  which  are  passing  with  light- 
ning speed,  multitudes  in  pursuit  of  business  or  pleasure 
— on  woodlands  and  cultivated  fields  harmoniously  blend- 
ed— and  on  a  western  horizon  of  undulating  highlands, 
which  towards  the  south,  blend  with  the  famed  Catskill 
mountains,  lifting  their  giant  heads  to  the  clouds. 


44 


HUDSON  RIVER 


1 


1 

i 

i 

J 

1      ? 

H 

i 

L 

West  Troy,  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson 
river,  6  miles  above  the  city  of  Albany,  is  a  place  of 
growing  importance.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  village  in 
183G,  and  now  contains  about  5,000  inhabitants,  800 
dwelling  hoi.ses,  8  churches,  8  public  houses,  a  large 
number  of  stores,  and  mechanics'  shops.  The  Erie  Ca- 
nal, which  passes  through  the  centre  of  the  village,  com* 
municates  with  the  Hudson,  by  two  commodious  side- 
cuts.  It  is  a  convenient  depot  for  vast  quantities  of  pro- 
duce, lumber,  and  merchandise  ;  being  on  the  Junc- 
tion Canal,  and  at  the  head  of  sloop  navigation.  The 
southern  mouth  of  the  Mohawk  here  unites  with  the 
Hudson. 

The  Watervliet  ^/irsenal,  situated  in  West  Troy,  near 
the  river,  was  established  by  the  United  States  govern- 
ment in  1813.  This  is  the  largest  arsenal  of  construction 
in  the  Union,  having  great  facilities  for  the  manufacture 
and  transportation  of  warlike  implements,  and  is  well 
worthy  of  a  visit.  The  grounds  attached  to  the  arsenal, 
consist  of  about  100  acres,  enclosed  in  front  by  an  iron 
fence,  and  in  the  rear  by  a  stone  wall  Here  are  located  33 
buildings,  comprising  storehouses  for  small  arms,  gun 
sheds  for  cannon  carriages,  timber  sheds,  magazines, 
saw-mill,  paint,  carriage,  machine,  casting  and  black- 
smith shops  ;  offices,  barracks,  hospitals  and  officers' 
quarters.  About  200  officers,  soldiers  and  hired  work- 
men are  constantly  employed  at  this  post,  which  number 
could  be  greatly  increased  if  found  necessary.  Here  are 
now  manufactured  munitions  of  war,  amounting  to  an 
estimated  value  of  $100,000  annually.  The  total  value 
on  hand,  January,  1841,  amounted  to  $1,662,320. 

Lansingburgh,  3  miles  above  Troy  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Hudson,  is  one  of  the  oldest  villages  in  the  state, 
being  incorporated  as  early  as   1787  ;  it  now  contains 


AND    ITS  VICINITY. 


45 


about  3,000  inhabitants.  During  the  Revolutionary  war 
it  was  a  place  of  considerable  importarce.  It  has  since 
increased  but  slowly,  owins:  to  obstructions  in  the  chan- 
nel of  the  Hudson,  and  the  consequent  growth  of  Troy. 

Waterford,  situated  1  mile  above  Lansingburgh,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  155  mi^'is  north  of  the 
city  of  New-York,  is  at  the  very  head  of  sloop  naviga- 
tion on  the  Hudson,  with  which  the  northern  mouth  of 
the  Mohawk  here  unites.  Navigation  is  kept  up  to  this 
place  by  means  of  a  dam  and  slooy  lock  at  the  upper  part 
of  the  city  of  Troy.  Waterford  was  incorporated  in  1805, 
and  now  contains  a  population  of  about  1,400  inhabitants. 

The  village  of  Cohoes  two  miles  west  of  Waterford, 
is  situated  on  the  southwest  bank  of  the  Mohawk  river, 
a  short  distance  below  the  Cohoes  Falls  and  near  the 
junction  of  the  Erie  and  Champlain  canals.  Here  is  af- 
forded by  the  Mohawk,  an  immense  amount  of  hydrau- 
lic power.  If  found  necessary  the  whole  volume  of  wa- 
ter in  the  river  can  be  used  for  propelling  machinery  to 
almost  any  extent,  having  a  total  fall  of  about  140  feet. 
Here  are  several  extensive  manufacturing  establishments  ; 
6  churches  j  1  hotel"  j  12  stores,  and  a  population  of  2,000 
inhabitants,  mostly  employed  in  the  above  manufactories. 
Stages  pass  through  this  village  several  times  daily,  run- 
ning between  A  Ibany  and  Waterford,  a  distance  of  10  miles. 

Cohoes  Falls,  situated  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Cohoes  village,  is  an  object  of  great  attraction.  It  is  much 
resorted  to  during  the  summer  months,  by  visitors  from 
all  parts  of  the  Union.  The  water  of  the  Mohawk  here 
has  a  perpendicular  fall  of  70  feet,  besides  a  rapid  de- 
scent above  and  below.  The  banks  of  the  river  present 
a  grand  and  romantic  appearance,  varying  in  almost  per- 
pendicular heighth  of  from  50  to  120  feet,  for  the  distance 
of  half  a  mile  below  the  falls,  where  a  substantial  bridge, 
about  800  feet  long,  spans  the  stream. 


46 


STEAMBOATS. 


If 


,5,1' 


I 


HUDSON  RIVKIl  STEAMUOATS. 

Tho  followinu'lisl  (Miibnu-cs  ull  llie  Passaoe  Huats  built  and  niiHiin;); 
on  the  Hiuisori  Uivrr,  between  Now- York,  Albutiy  and  Troy,  since  llu'ir 
first  iuirodiirtion  by  llobcrt  Fulton,  in  llie  lull  of  1807. 


Built. 

Name. 

Tons 

(/OMMANDIiKS. 

Remark.j. 

1H07 

riermont,     ■    -    • 

James  Winan.-J, 

Name  changed. 

18(« 

North  H!vrr,     -    ■ 

160 

Samuf  1  Wiswall,     -    • 

Broken  up. 

18fi9 

Oar  of  N<'piunt',  - 

29.^> 

A.  n  R(»orabacli,     • 

Broken  up. 

1811    IIopp,     -    .     -     .  - 

280 

K.  S.  Hunker,      -     .     ■ 

Broken  uj). 

1811     Porft'viT.inr.o,    -  - 

2H) 

J  Sliertnan,     -     .     .     - 

Broken  up. 

1811    P;irii*:oii.     -      -      - 

.331 

AndrexT  Harllioloinew. 

Sunk,  1825. 

1B1;{    Kic.lun.iul.    -     -  ■ 

:i7o 

Jo.d)  Center, 

Broken  up. 

1815 

Olivi'  |{i,iiii)i,    -    - 

2<;.'i 

James  Moore,     .     - 

Broken  up. 

Isk; 

Cli.  Livititcston,  -    - 

4^M 

S.  Wiswall  <t  J.  Center, 

Coal  bar<;e 

18:i-{ 

James  Kent.      -     • 

;m6 

Thomas  Wiswall,     -     - 

(^lal  \nir^o.. 

ISlM 

Hudson,    -    .    -    . 

170 

M.  IJartliolonn'w,     -     ■ 

Broken  up. 
Tow  boat. 

182r> 

Sandusky,    -    -    - 

289 

James  Penoycr,     •    •  - 

m?jy 

Constitution,*    -     - 

276 

Wm.  J.  Wiswall,     .     . 

Now  Indiana. 

1S:.^5 

('onstellation,     -    - 

276 

Rfibprr  a.Cruttciiden. 

Tow  baruc. 

I8y.j 

Cli.  .lus.  Mar.sliall,t 

,300 

Richard  W.  Sherman, 

I.osl  in  L  I  SU 

I8i>r> 

SaratOfra,  ...    - 

2.'')0 

Jiunf^s  Benson,    -     .    . 

Tow  bariie. 

1826 

Sun,: 

280 

H   Drake, 

Burnt,  1K31. 

1826 

New-Piiiladi'lpliia, 

.300 

(Jcorjife  F,   Seymour,     - 

Delaware  riv«  • 

1827 

Albany,     -     -     .     - 

308 

J  (i.  Jenkins  &  11.  Macy 

llims  to  Troy. 

1827 

Inile  >end«Mire,  •    - 

368 

Wm.  J.  Wiswall,    -   ". 

Phila.  route. 

1827 

Nor!  1  America,    • 

497 

Cideon  l,athrop,      -     - 

I)(>.s.  by  ice,1839 

1827 

Victory,     .    .    .    . 

2W 

San  ford  (^obb,      -     -     - 

From  Itondouf. 

1828 

He  Witt  Clinton,   - 

571 

J  Sherman  &S.R.  Roe, 

Fiii:.  in  Knick. 

1829 

()hio,§     .     .      .     . 

412 

M.  Bartholomew,     •     - 

Tow  barife. 

ia30 

Novelty,      -    . 

477 

Daniel  Perk,      -    ■ 

From  Rondouf. 

1832 

Cbamplain,    -    -  . 

471 

Adolphus  Gorham, 

Tow  bar<je. 

1832 

Erie,li      -     .      .     - 

471 

James  Bensor^     -    •     . 

Tow  barge. 

18.33 

Helen,     .     .      .     - 

Henry  Biu'den,    -    -     - 

Destroyed,  18,'U 

18:J5 

Robert  L   Stevens, 

298 

Josf^ph  P.  Dean,    - 

To  Piennont. 

183G 

rtochester,    -    -    - 

491 

A.  Hoiurbton,      .     -    . 

Runs  to  A'hany 

1S36 

Swallow,      •     ■    - 

4'?6 

Alex.   McLean,     -     -    - 

Huns  to  Troy. 

1837 

Utica,      -     .      -    . 

:3-to 

A.  H  Shultz,     -      -     . 

lluns  to  Hudson 

ia38 

Diamond,    •     •     - 

398 

A   Flower,     ... 

Laid  »ip 

1839 

Ualloon,    -    .    -    . 

201 

David  Ilitcl'.cock,     -     . 

f.aid  up 

1R39 

NTwth  America,     - 

404 

\{    C    Cruttenden,     -    . 

Runs  to  Albany 

1840 

South  America,    - 

63=^ 

M   IT.  True.sdell,      -     - 

Rar»s  to  Albany 

1840 

Troy, 

724 

Adolpliu.s  Cnrham,    -  - 

Runs  fo  Ti-oy.' 

1841 

(Columbia,     -    •    - 

301 

T    P.  Newbury,      .    - 

Runs  lo  Albany 

1841 

Ruin  bow,     -     -    - 

230 

Capt   Furv,     -'  -     .      . 

Delaware  river. 

1842    Curtis  Peck,      -    - 

Wm.  Peck,     .... 

Runs  to  AU)any 

184-3    Empire,     -    .   -    - 

936 

Stephen  R.  Roe.      -     . 

Runs  to  Troy. 

1843    Knickerbocker,     - 

a58 

A  P.  St.  John,    .     -    . 

Runs  to  Albany 

I.'  n 


"  Exploded  her  boilers  in  1825,  killing  3  persons. 

t  Exploded  her  boiler  in  18.30,  killinfj  11  persons. 

t  Built  to  run  as  a  day  boat  between  New- York  and  Albany. 

i  Exploded  her  chinmey  or  flue  in  1832,  killing  5  persons. 

I  Exploded  her  chimney  or  flue  in  1838,  slightly  injuring  1  person. 


STKAMB0AT8, 


47 


Passenofr   Barges. 

In  182fi,  the  sleauibont  Commerce,  Capt.  George  E. 
Seymour,  towed  the  passeni?er  bar'j^e  Lady  Clinton,  and  the 
steamboat  SvviCtsure,  Capt.  Cowden,  towed  the  passen- 
ger barge  Lady  Van  Rensselaer. 


Copy  of  an  Adveriisemeni  taken  from  the   ./llbany  Ga- 
zette, dated  September,  1807. 

''The  NoiiTii  IIiver  Steamdoat,  will  leave  Pauler's 
Hook  Ferry  [now  Jersey  City,]  on  Friday  the  4th  of  Sep. 
tember,  at  9  in  the  morning,  and  arrive  at  Albany  on  Sa- 
turday, at  9  in  the  afternoon.  Provisions,  good  berths 
and  accommodations  are  provided. 

"  The  charge  to  each  passenger  is  as  follows  : 

To  Newburgh,  dols.  3.  lime,  14  hours. 

"   Poughkeepsie,        "     4.      "       17       *? 


(( 

Esopus, 

(C 

5. 

a 

20 

a 

Hudson, 

<( 

5i 

ti 

30 

<( 

Albany, 

(< 

7. 

ii 

36 

(I 


(( 


'*  For  places,  apply  to  Wm.  Vandervoort,  No.  48  Court- 
landt-street,  on  the  corner  of  Greenwich-street. 
"  Sept.  2,   1807." 

Extract  from  iheN.  Y.  Evening  Post,  dated  Oct.  2, 1807. 
''Mr.  Fulton's  new-invented  steamboat,  which  is  fitted 
up  in  a  neat  style  for  passengers,  and  is  intended  to  run 
from  New-York  to  Albany  as  a  Packet,  left  here  this 
morning  with  ninety  passengers  against  a  strong  head 
wind.  Notwithstanding  which,  it  was  judged  she  moved 
through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  six  miles  an  hour." 

Extract  from  the  Albany   Gazette,  dated  Oct.  5,  1807 
"  Friday,  Oct  2,  1807,   the  steamboat  [Clermont,]  left 
New- York  at  10   o'clock   A.  M.    against  a   stormy  tide, 
very  rough  water,  and  a  violent  gale  from  the  north.     She 


N 


1 1. 


48 


STEAMBOATS. 


! 


I'  tIE         I 


made  a  headway  beyond  the  most  sanguine  expectations, 
and  without  being  rocked  by  the  waves. 

"  Arrived  at  Albany  Oct.  4,  at  10  o'clock  P,  M.  being 
detained  by  being  obliged  to  come  to  anchor,  owing  to  a 
gale,  and  having  one  of  her  paddle  wheels  tore  away  by 
running  foul  of  a  sloop." 

Note. — It  is  stated  on  the  authority  of  Capt.  E.  S, 
Bunker  J  that  the  Cleh  iont,  or  experiment  boat^  as 
sometimes  called,  the  first  steamboat  constructed  under 
the  direction  and  superintendence  of  Robert  Fulton  in 
1807,  was  100  feet  long,  12  feet  wide,  and  7  feet  deep. 
In  1808,  she  was  lengthened  to  150  feet,  widened  to  18 
feet,  and  had  her  name  changed  to  North  River.  The 
engine  was  constructed  in  England,  by  W^tt  &  Bolton, 
and  brought  to  New- York  in  Dec.  1806,  by  Mr.  Fulton, 
The  hnll  of  the  boat  was  constructed  by  David  Brown, 
an  eminent  ship  builder  in  New-York.  In  August  1807, 
the  boat  was  propelled  by  steam  from  the  East  River  to 
the  Jersey  shore,  and  on  the  2d  of  October  following  she 
started  on  her  first  trip  to  Albany. 


THE  CLERMONT. 


stations, 

il.  being 
ing  to  a 
iway  by 

>t.  E.  S, 
oaty  as 
I  under 
ilton  in 
2t  deep, 
2cl  to  18 
L.  The 
Bolton, 
Fulton, 
Brown, 
5t  1807, 
tiver  to 
ing  she 


""'•A 


I 
I 
I 


h      ' 


^1 


I 


In 


I 


,i 


li  : 


J£,i  P  QPJjAKB  CHAMPMjA  />' 

Willi  tile  dislaiiceN  from  W'liilplinJI  . 


S^Tarh  fmrnUud  ^XDmtmnM  m** 


TOUR  TO  THE  SPRINGS,  LAKE  GEORGE, 

AND  CANADA, 


>.        : 


1^ 


There  are  now  two  or  three  Railroad  Routes  from 
Albany  and  Troy  to  Ballston  Spa  and  Saratoga  Springs, 

1st.  From  Albany  via  Schenectady,  on  the  Mohawk 
and  Hudson  Railroad,  and  the  Saratoga  and  Schenectady 
Railroad,  terminating  at  the  village  of  Saratoga  Springs. 
Total  distance,  37  miles. 

2d.  From  Troy,  on  the  Schenectady  and  Troy  Railroad^ 
20  miles;  thence  by  railroad  to  Saratoga  Springs,  a  fur- 
ther  distance  of  21  miles. 

3d.  From  Troy,  on  the  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  Rail- 
road, terminating  at  Ballston  Spa,  a  distance  of  24  miles, 
there  uniting  with  the  railroad  extending  from  Schenec- 
tady to  Saratoga  Springs.  The  above  railroads  afford 
the  traveller  a  choice  of  several  interesting  routes. 
There  being  little  difference  of  time  and  expense,  it  is 
well  for  the  tourist  to  go  by  one  route,  and  return  by 
another — thus  changing  the  scenery. 


ROUTES  FROM  ALBANY  AND  TROY  TO 
MONTREAL  AND  QUEBEC, 

There  are  several  routes  and  modes  of  conveyance,  dur- 
ing the  summer  season,  to  Canada,  via  Lake  Champlain- 

1st,  By  Railroad  and  Stage,  via  Saratoga  Springs  and 
Glen's  Falls,  or  by  Sandy  Hill  to  Whitehall. 

2d.  By  Railroad  and  Canal,  via  Troy  and  Mechanics" 
ville  ;  or  from  Albany  by  Canal  Packet  Boat. 

3d.  By  Stage,  via  Troy,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  ; 
all  connecting  with  commodious  steamboats  at  Whitehall, 


Ifl 


n] 


:  I 


50 


TOUR    TO    THE    SPRINGS,    ETC. 


a  distance  of  72  miles  from  Albany.  To  St.  John's,  Cana- 
da,  is  a  further  distance  of  157  miles,  through  Lake 
Champlain  by  steamboat.  A  railroad  15  miles  long 
extends  from  St.  John's  to  La  Prairie  on  the  St.  Law- 
rence; and  thence  a  steamboat  runs  to  Montreal,  a  further 
distance  of  9  miles. 

In  going  by  the  first  route,  through  Saratoga  Springs, 
the  traveller  has  a  choice  of  passing  direct  to  Whitehall 
through  Sandy  Hill,  or  diverging  to  Glen's  Falls,  and 
thence  to  Caldwell,  situated  at  the  head  of  Lake  Gs^orge, 
or  Horicon,  where  will  be  found  a  favorite  public 
house.  Passengers  are  then  carried  over  the  above 
charming  piece  of  water  in  a  steamboat,  to  the  foot  of 
the  lake,  36  miles;  thence  by  stage,  4  miles  further,  to 
the  landing  at  Fort  Ticonderoga  on  Lake  Champlain, 
where  is  dc.li!/;htfuliy  situated  a  well  kept  public  house. 
This  is  by  far  the  most  romantic  and  picturesque  route, 
affording  the  traveller  an  opportunity  to  visit  many  points 
of  great  interest,  connected  with  stirring  events,  recorded 
in  the  history  of  the  old  French  and  Revolutionary  wars. 

The  route  by  railroad  and  canal  packets,  is  considered 
the  most  expeditious  and  pleasant,  as  rgards  comfort ; 
passing  through  the  villages  of  Waterford,  Mechanics- 
ville  and  Stillwater,  (by  Bemus'  Heights,  and  battle 
ground,  where  Burgoyne  surrendered  to  the  American 
army  under  Gen.  Gates,  Oct.  17,'  1777,)  Schuylerville, 
Fort  Miller,  Fort  Edward  and  Fort  Ann,  to  the  village  of 
Whitehall ;  being  most  of  the  way  in  sight  of  the  beau- 
tiful Hudson,  skirted  by  scenery  of  the  most  enchanting 
character. 

At  Mechanicsville,  12  mi?es  north  of -the  city  of 
Troy,  is  the  place  where  the  cars  running  on  the  Rens- 
selaer and  Saratoga  Railroad  unite  with  passenger  boats 
plying  to  Whitehall,  during  the  season  of  navigation. 


TOUR    TO    THE    SPRINGS,    ETC. 


51 


The  village  of  Stillwater,  is  an  old  and  quiet  settle- 
ment, 4  miles  further  north.  It  was  incorporated  in 
IS  16,  and  now  contains  400  or  500  inhabitants.  In  the 
north  part  of  this  town,  is  situated  the  battle  ground 
where  Gen.  Burgoyne  was  defeated  by  the  American  army 
under  General  Gates  in  1777. 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  BURGOYNE. 

The  place  at  which  we  have  now  arrived  recalls 
one  of  the  most  important  events  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  a  brief  notice  of  the  principal  incidents  which 
preceded  and  accompanied  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Burgoyne 
and  his  army,  may  not  be  unacceptable  to  the  tourist 
whom  we  have  undertaken  to  guide. 

The  army  of  Burgoyne  was  probably  the  best  equipped 
and  most  effective  force  brought  into  the  field  by  the 
enemy  for  a  specific  object,  during  the  whole  contest;  and 
its  fate  was  mainly  decided  by  two  battles  fought  on 
very  nearly  the  same  ground,  one  on  the  19th  Septem- 
ber, and  the  other  on  the  7th  of  October,  1777.  The 
battle  ground  was  on  Bemus'  Heights,  about  two  miles 
from  the  Hudson  river,  in  the  town  of  Stillwater. 

The  battle  of  Sept.  19th,  was  brought  on  accidentally 
rather  than  by  design,  originating  in  a  skirmish  between 
two  advanced  parties  in  a  cleared  field  surrounded  by  the 
primitive  forest,  and  known  as  Freeman's  Farm.  A 
small  house  in  this  clearing  was  occupied  by  a  picket- 
guard  of  the  British  army,  which  lay  to  the  north.  A 
small  party,  detached  from  Col.  Morgan's  Rifle  Corps,  as 
the  American  army  was  advancing  toward  the  enemy, 
fell  in  with  the  party  posted  in  the  house,  attacked  and 
drove  them  from  it,  and  in  pursuing  them  came  unex- 
pectedly upon  the  main  body  of  the  enemy,  by  whom  a 
part  of  their  number   were   captured,   and  the  rest  dis- 


il 


52 


TOUR    TO    THE    SPRINGS,    ETC. 


perseJ.  This  occurred  a  little  past  noon.  In  about  an 
hour  the  fighting  was  partially  renewed,  but  the  action 
did  not  become  jjeneral  t'll  about  3  o'clock,  when  it  com- 
menced  in  earnest,  and  raged  till  night,  both  in  the  woods 
and  in  the  clearing,  the  latter  being  the  scene  of  the 
greatest  slaughter.  The  batile  was  a  very  bloody  one. 
The  British  forces  kept  their  station  in  the  rear  of  the 
clearing;  and  the  Americans  returned  to  their  camp  a  lit- 
tie  to  the  south.  Burgoyne  claimed  a  victory,  but  his 
loss,  between  five  and  six  hundred,  was  nearly  double  that 
of  the  AmericanSj  and  the  relative  circumstances  of  the 
two  armies  rendered  his  loss  proportionately  still  more 
severe. 

The  battle  of  October  7th,  may  be  said,  speaking  in 
general  terms,  to  have  been  fought  on  the  same  field  as 
the  former,  but  it  covered  more  ground.  It  was  brought 
on,  (says  Professor  Silliman,  in  his  "Tour."  published 
in  1820,  where  these  battles  and  the  incidents  connected 
with,  are  very  fully  recounted,)  by  a  movement  of  Gen. 
Burgoyne,  who  ordered  a  body  of  1,500  men  with  ten 
pieces  of  cannon  to  the  right  of  iiis  own  line,  with  the 
view  of  forcing  the  left  wing  of  the  American  army  and 
covering  a  foraging  party  in  that  direction.  This  occur- 
red ajout  the  middle  of  the  afternoon;  and  the  Ameri- 
cans, though  destitute  of  artillery,  promptly  commenced 
the  attack,  and  the  battle  soon  extended  along  the  whole 
line.  '^  After  a  sanguinary  contest  of  less  than  an  hour, 
the  discomfiture  and  retreat  of  the  British,  became  gene- 
ral;  and  they  had  scarcely  regained  their  camp  when  their 
lines  were  stormed  with  the  greatest  fury,  and  part  of 
Lord  Balcarras'  camp  was  for  a  short  time  in  cur  pos- 
session." 

The  entrenchments  of  the  German  reserve,  under  Col. 
Breyman,   were   also  stormed,   the  Colonel  killed,  and 


TOUR    TO    THE    SPRINGS,    ETC. 


53 


his  troops  forced  to  abandon  their  position  with  j^reat  loss 
both  of  killed  and  prisoners  ^  and  had  not  the  night  put 
an  end  to  the  fighting,  the  whole  British  army  would 
have  been  overwhelmed  in  their  entrenchments. 

But  though  the  coming  on  of  night  saved  the  enemy 
from  further  slaughter,  yet  the  battle  was  decisive  That 
same  night  the  British  abandoned  their  position,  retired 
to  their  works  on  the  heights,  and  on  the  succeeding 
night,  leaving  their  camp  fires  lighted  and  various  tents 
standing,  commenced  a  further  retreat  with  the  utmost  prac- 
ticable  secrecy.  The  heavy  rains  and  the  deep  roads  so 
embarrassed  their  movements  that  they  did  not  reach 
their  last  station,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Fishkill  creek 
till  the  morning  of  October  10th.  There,  on  the  high 
ground  overlooking  the  meadows  bordering  the  river,  they 
took  up  their  final  position.  They  were  speedily  followed 
by  Gen.  Gates,  whose  forces  were  now  greatly  superior 
in  numbers  and  were  so  advantageously  disposed  as  to 
render  further  retreat  by  the  British  impossible,  whose 
position,  moreover,  was  completely  commanded  by  the 
Americans.  *'  Every  part  of  the  camp  of  the  royal  army," 
says  Silliman,  '^  was  exposed  not  only  to  cannon  balls, 
but  to  rifle  shot;  not  a  single  place  of  safety  could  be  found. 
Even  access  to  the  river  was  very  hazardous,  and  the  ar- 
my was  soon  distressed  for  want  of  wtiter.'' 

In  this  exposed  and  hopeless  situation  the  British  con- 
tinued  six  days  longer,  when  hostilities  were  terminated 
by  the  surrender  of  the  whole  army.  The  articles  of 
capitulation  were  executed  on  the  16th,  and  the  surren- 
der  took  place  on  the  next  day — October  17th,  1777. 

The  ground  on  which  Gen.  Burgoyne  delivered  himself 
find  his  associates  in  command  to  Gen.  Gates,  was  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  Fishkill  creek,  near  where  now  stands 
the  village  of  Schuylerville.     Gen.  Wilkinson,  an  aid  of 


5i 


TOUR    TO    THE    SPRINGS,    ETC. 


(Jen.  Gates,  and  an  eye-witness  of  the  scene,  descriLe^  it 
as  follows: 

"  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  17th.  I  visited  Gen. 
JBurgoyne  in  his  camp,  and  accompanied  him  to  the 
ground  where  his  army  were  to  lay  down  their  arms, 
from  whence  he  rode  to  the  bank  of  the  Hudson  river, 
which  he  surveyed  with  attention  and  asked  me  whether 
it  wai  not  fordable.  *  Certainly,  sir;  but  do  you  observe 
the  people  on  the  opposite  shore?'  *  Yes,  (replied  he,) 
'  I  have  seen  them  too  long.'  He  then  proposed  to  be 
introduced  to  Gen.  Gates,  and  we  crossed  the  Fishkill  and 
proceeded  to  head-quarters,  Gen.  Burgoyne  in  front,  with 
his  Adjutant- General  Kingston,  and  his  aids  Captain 
Lord  Petersham,  and  Lieutenant  Wilford  behind  him. 
Then  followed  Maj.  Gen.  Phillips,  the  Baron  Reidesel, 
and  the  other  general  officers  and  their  suites,  according 
to  rank. 

'*  Gen.  Gates,  advised  of  Burgoyne's  approach,  met  him 
at  the  head  of  his  camp,  Burgoyne  in  a  rich  royal  uni- 
form, and  Gates  in  a  plain  blue  frock.  When  they  had 
approached  nearly  within  sword's  length,  they  reined  up 
and  hailed.  I  then  named  the  gentlemen,  and  Gen.  Bur- 
gone  raising  his  hat  gracefully  said — '  The  fortune  of 
war,  Gen.  Gates,  has  made  me  your  prisoner;'  to  which 
the  conqueror,  returning  a  courtly  salute,  promptly  re- 
plied, *  I  shall  always  be  ready  to  bear  testimony  that 
it  has  not  been  through  any  fault  of  your  Excellency.' 

"  Maj.  Gen  Phillips  then  advanced,  and  he  and  Gen. 
Gates  saluted  and  shook  hands  with  the  familiarity  of  old 
acquaintances.  The  Baron  Reidesel  and  the  other  officers 
were  introduced  in  their  turn." 

The  ground  on  which  the  captured  troops  piled  their 
arms,  was  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Fishkill  near  its  con- 
fluence with  the  Hudson.     Li  is  34  miles  from  Albany^ 


TOUR    TO    THE    8PRINGS,    KTC. 


55 


their 
con> 
Dany, 


and  11  miles  above  Stillwater  village,  pnd  10  miles  east  of 
Saratoga  Springs. 

The  severest  individual  loss  of  the  British  during  the 
severe  and  bloody  struggle  between  these  two  armies, 
was  in  the  person  of  Gen.  Frazier,  wlio  was  shot  by  one 
of  Morgan's  riflemen  posted  in  a  tree,  in  the  battle  of 
October  7th.  He  was  buried  the  next  mornin^r  within 
the  principal  retloubt  on  the  heights.  Mr.  Silliman  states 
on  a  visit  to  the  spot,  in  1797,  he  found  the  grave  still 
visible,  with  a  slight  enclosure  round  it,  but  that  subse. 
quently  the  remains  were  removed  to  their  native  land. 
He  w^as  an  accomplished  and  gallant  olficer,  possessing 
the  entire  confidence  and  good- will  of  the  army  and 
greatly  respected  and  beloved  by  his  associates.  The 
circumstances  connected  with  his  death  and  burial;  the 
Capture  of  Major  Ackland,  of  the  British  Grenadiers, 
who  was  disabled  by  a  severe  wound  and  taken  prisoner 
in  the  same  battle j  the  heroic  fortitude  of  his  wife,  lady 
Harriet  Ackland,  and  of  the  Baroness  Reidesel,  in  the 
various  scenes  of  peril  and  suffering  through  which  they 
passed;  and  the  kindness  and  courtesy  with  which  they 
were  treated  by  the  victors,  particularly  by  Gen.  Schuy- 
ler and  his  family,  and  which  gave  additonal  lustre  to  the 
victory,  all  these  incidents  have  imparted  to  the  principal 
events  of  this  scene  a  degree  of  romantic  interest  with 
which  few  others,  if  any  of  the  military  occurrences  of 
that  war  are  invested. 

A  visit  to  the  battle  grounds  has  become  a  favorite 
excursion  to  travellers,  and  by  visiters  sojourning  at 
the  Springs,  during  the  summer  months. 


Ballston  Spa,  12  miles  northwest  of  Mechanics ville, 
is  an  old  and  celebrated  watering  place.  It  is  situated 
in  a  valley  near  the  Kayaderosseras  creek,  30  miles 
north  of  the  city  of  Albany,  and  24  miles  from  Troy,  by 


; 


SARATOGA    SPRINGS. 


railroad.  It  was  incorporate  J  in  1S07,  and  now  contains 
about  1,500  inhabitants,  a  court-house  and  jail,  1  Presby- 
terian, 1  Episcopal,  1  JJaptist,  and  1  Met' odist  church j 
1  banking  house,  G  hotels  and  taverns,  an;  ^everal  pri- 
vate boarding  houses  for  visiters  during  iiic  summer 
months.  The  oldest  and  still  the  most  esteemed  foun- 
tain, is  known  as  the  *^  jrublic  trell,^'  en  the  flat  west  of 
the  centre  of  the  village.  It  is  said  to  have  been  first  dis- 
covered l)y  the  white*),  in  17G9,  during  the  survey  and  par- 
tition of  the  Kayaderosseras  patent.  It  issues  from  a  bed 
of  sti/fblue  clay  and  gravel.  J3esides  the  above,  there  are 
several  other  springs  of  less  note,  possessing  medicinal 
properties  of  a  similar  character. 

The  Saus  Souci  ITotal  at  this  place,  erected  by  the  late 
Nichlas  Low,  Esq.,  in  1803,  is  an  old  and  popular  board- 
ing house,  delightfully  situated  near  the  centre  of  the 
village.  It  is  often  thronged  during  the  summer  months 
with  visiters  from  every  section  of  the  United  States  and 
Europe. 

The  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  Railroad  terminates  at 
this  place,  where  it  unites  with  the  Saratoga  and  Sche- 
nectady Railroad,  thus  affording  a  speedy  communica- 
tion with  the  cities  of  Schenectady,  Troy  and  Albany, 
and  with  Saratoga  Springs,  Cimiles  north  of  Ballston  Spa. 

The  village  of  Saratoga  Springs,  pleasantly  situated 
on  a  plain,  surrounded  in  part  by  a  beautiful  grove  of  pine 
trees,  is  the  most  noted  watering  place  in  the  Union,  the 
mineral  springs,  possessing  great  medicinal  properties, 
vary  somewhat  in  their  analyses.  It  is  built  chiefly  on 
one  broad  street,  and  the  numerous  large  hotels  and 
houses  for  the  accommodation  of  visiters,  give  it  an  im- 
posing appearance,  particularly  when  thronged  with  com- 
pany, as  it  usually  is  during  the  summer  months.  It  was 
incorporated   in    1816,    and  now  contains    about  2,500 


I 


d 


SARATOGA     RPKTNGS. 


57 


jnlmbitants,  300  dwelling  houses,  one  Presbyterian,  one 
Kpiscopal,  one  Baptist,  one  Methodist,  one  Universalisl 
and  one  Koriian  Caliiolic  church  ;  one  mutual  insurance 
company,  an  incorporated  academy,  a  female  seminary 
and  several  select  schools  ;  the  Young  Men's  Association, 
a  new  and  popular  chartered  institution,  numbering  about 
150  members  ;  35  stores  of  different  kinds  ;  2  iron  foun- 
dries, 1  machine  shop,  an  extensive  carriage  manufac- 
tory, and  3  printing  offices,  besides  many  other  kinds  of 
mechanic  work  shops. 

The  hotels  and  boarding  houses  are  numerous,  and 
many  of  them  fitted  up  on  a  large  and  magnificent  scale, 
unsurpassed  by  any  similar  establishments  in  the  Union. 
The  United  States  Hotel,  situated  near  the  railroad  depot, 
is  a  large  four  story  brick  edifice,  furnishing  accommoda- 
tions for  400  guests  ;  the  location  is  central;  and  within  a 
short  distance  of  all  the  principal  mineral  springs.  Con- 
gress Hall,  and  Union  Hall,  are  both  old  and  popular  es- 
tablishments, situated  on  the  south  of  the  village  near  the 
Congress  Spring.  The  Jlmerican  Hotel  is  a  new  house 
built  of  brick,  in  the  centre  of  the  village.  It  is  well 
furnished,  and  is  kept  open  through  the  year,  affording 
good  accommodations  both  in  winter  and  summer.  The 
Columbian  Hotel,  Montgomery  Hall,  and  Jldelyhi  Hotel, 
are  all  well  kept  public  houses,  and  remain  open  for  the 
accommodation  of  visiters  during  the  whole  year.  The 
Washington  Hall,  Railroad  House,  Eagle  Hotel,  Tempe- 
rance Hotel,  Congress  Spring  Temperance  House,  Har- 
mony Hall,  New  England  Hall,  and  Prospect  Mansion 
House,  besides  some  20  or  30  private  boarding  houses, 
tilso  accommodate  visiters.  There  are  several  public 
bathing  houses  near  the  springs,  where  cold  and  warm 
water  and  shower  baths  can  at  all  times  be  obtained. 

The  railroads  aflford  a  speedy  communication  between 
the  Springs  and  the  cities  of  Albany,  Schenectady,  and 


Ji 


58 


KAHATOOA     HI'RINCS. 


Troy.  The  Saratoga  iind  Wasliinglon  Railroad,  when 
completed,  is  to  extend  from  Saratoga  Springs  to  While- 
hall,  a  distance  of  40  inih's.  Stages  now  run  from  the 
Springs  to  Glen's  Falls  and  CaKlueirs,  as  well  as  to  San- 
dy Hill,  Dunham's  Basin,  and  Whitehall. 

The  celehrated  Mineral  Waters,  which  nre  the  great 
cause  of  attraction  to  this  place,  require  a  particular  des- 
cription. At  what  precise  period  these  springs  were  first 
discovered,  cannot  now  with  any  degree  of  certainty  he 
ascertained  As  early  as  1773,  a  settlement  was  made 
here,  a  little  west  of  the  High  Rock  Spring,  for  the  dou- 
ble purpose  of  trading  with  the  Indians,  and  accommo- 
dating invalids.  The  High  Rock  and  Flat  Rock  were  the 
only  springs  at  that  time  known.  The  Congress  Spring 
was  first  discovered  in  1792.  There  are  now  within  the 
distance  of  about  half  a  mile,  some  10  or  12  important 
mineral  fountains,  flowing  to  the  surface,  and  most  of 
them  located  near  the  margin  of  a  brook  which  runs 
through  the  village  on  the  east.  Congress  Spring,  Wash- 
ington  Spring,  Putnam's  Spring,  Pavilion  Springs,  Io- 
dine Spring,  Hamilton  Spring,  and  the  Flat  Rock  and 
High  Rock  Springs,  may  be  named  as  the  most  valuable 
for  their  medicinal  properties,  and  as  objects  of  curiosity. 
A  cluster  of  mineral  springs  known  as  the  ''  Ten  Springs." 
are  situated  about  one  mile  east  of  the  village.  The  most 
celebrated  of  these  springs  is  known  as  the  Union  Spring  ; 
in  the  vicinity  of  which  is  the  Mansion  House,  a  well 
kept  summe  establishment.  Large  quantities  of  thcBC 
waters  are  annually  exported  to  different  parts  of  the 
country,  affording  a  handsome  income  to  the  several 
owners,  most  of  them  being  private  property,  although 
no  charge  is  made  to  visiters,  other  than  what  they  vol- 
untarily give  to  those  who  are  employe  ^  xq  vv^ait  on  them. 


I 


>l 


SARATOGA     81>III>G8.  59 

Tlic  Ibllovving  are  analyses  of  some  of  the  principal 
Springs  of  Saratoga. 

CoNORKss  Si'iuNo. — From  cxpcrimcnts  and  d('<luclion» 
by  Dr.  Steel,  one  g:allon,  or  231  cubic  inches  of  the  wa- 
ter ol'  the  Congress  Spring,  is  found  to  contain  the  fol- 
lowing substances,  viz  : 

Grains. 

Chloride  Ok'  Sodium,  (sea  salt) 3S5.000 

Hydriodale  of  So  la, 3. 500 

lii-carbonate  of  "     8.9S2 

"  of  Magnesia, 95.788 

Carbonate  of  Lime, 98 .098 

"  of  Iron, 5.075 

Silex 1.500 

Ilydro-bromate  of  Potash,  a  trace, 

Total  grains, 597.943 

Carbonic  acid  gas,  cubic  inches, 311 

Atmospheric  air, 7 

Gascons  contenisy 318 

Washington  Spring,  is  situated  in  a  southwest  di- 
rection from  Congress  Spring.  It  is  a  sparkling  acidu- 
lous water ;  its  temperature  is  50  degress,  and  one  gallon 

of  it  affords  the  following  articles,  viz  : 

Grains. 

Chloride  of  sodium, 281.50 

Bi-carbonate  of  Soda 16.50 

"             of  Magnesia, 40.92 

Carbonate  of  Lime, 92.60 

"          of  Iron 3.26 

Silex , 1 .  50 

Hydriodate  of  Soda, 2.75 

Solid  contents  in  a  gallon, 439.02 

Carbonic  acid  gas,  cubic  inches, 262.50 

Atmospheric  air, 6.80 

Gaseous  contents  in  a  gallon, 269 . 30 


60 


SARATOGA     SPRINGS. 


Putnam's  Congress  Spring,  is  located  a  few  rods 
east  of  the  United  States  Hotel.  The  following  is  an 
analysis  taken  by  James  R.  Chiltoi  ,  M.  D.  of  New- 
York  city.  One  gallon  of  water  contains  the  following 
ingredients,  viz  ; 

Grains. 

Chloride  of  Sodium, 214.00 

Carbonate  of  Soda, 14.32 

"          of  Lime, , 68.80 

Iodide  of  Sodium,  with  a  trace  of  Bromide  of 

Potassium, 2.00 

Phosphate  of  Lime, .21 

Sulphate  of  Soda, 1 .  68 

Carbonate  of  Magnesia, 5 1 .  60 

"          of  Iron, 7.00 

Silicia, , .84 

Alumina, .56 

Total, 361 .  01 

Carbonic  acid,  cubic  inches, 341.88 

Atmospheric  air, 6 .  04 

Total, 347 .  92 

The  gases  were  obtained  and  analyzed  at  the  Spring, 
the  temperature  of  the  water  being  51°  Fahrenheit,  in 
July. 

Pavilion  Fountain.  This  celebrated  medicinal  foun- 
tain rises  in  a  valley  near  the  Pavilion  Hotel,  [destroyed 
by  fire  in  1843,]  and  was  tubed  up  from  a  depth  of  forty 
feet,  in  May,  1840,  after  incredible  labor  and  expense 
The  great  curiosity  it  excited,  and  the  crowds  which  it 
daily  attracted,  induced  the  proprietors  to  have  the  same 
analyzed  in  August  following,  when  one  gallon  of  water 
was  found  to  contain  these  constituents,  viz  : 


SARATOGA     SPKINGS. 


61 


m 


Grains. 

Chloride  of  Sodium, 226.53 

Carbonate  of  Magnesia, 62.50 

of  Lime, 60.24 

4.70 

3.10 


u 


Carbonate  of  Soda, 

Oxide  of  Iron, , 

Iodide  of  Sodium,  .... 
Bromide  of  Potassium, 

Silica,    , 

Alumina, 


2.75 

.62 
.25 


Total,    361.74 


Carbonic  acid  <?as, 480.01 

Atmospheric  air, 8.09 


Cubic  inches, 488 .  10 

The  quantity  of  gas  which  evolves  from  the  Pavilion 
Fountain  is  double  its  volume  of  water  j  which  fact  ren- 
ders it  an  object  of  great  curiosity,  and  increases  its  me- 
dicinal properties. 


Iodine  SriiiNG,  is  a  new  fountain,  located  a  few  rods 
north  of  the  celebrated  High  Rock  Spring.  According  to 
an  analysis  of  Professor  Emmons,  of  the  Medical  Col- 
lege in  Albany,  one  gallon  of  this  water  contains  the  fol- 
lovking  ingredients  :  Grains. 

Muriate  of  Soda, 187 

Carbonate  of  Lime, 26 

Iron. 1 

Magnesia, 75 

Soda, 2 

Ilydriodatc  of  Soda  or  Iodine, 


H 


Total, 


Carbonic  acid  gas,  (  water  bottled  three  weeks,). 
Atmospheric  air, 


2944 

~330 
4 


Cubic  inches, 334 

The  freedom  of  this  water  from  iron  is  truly  remarka- 
ble, and  as  Professor  E.  remarks,  ^'  supplies  a  desidera- 


62 


SARATOGA     SPRINGS. 


turn  which  has  been  long  wanting,  viz  :  a  water  which 
lAay  be  drank  by  a  certain  class  of  invalids  to  whom  iron 
proves  a  decided  injury. 

Union  Spring,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  of  the 
"Ten  Springs:"  analyzed  in  1841,  by  James  R.  Chil- 
ton, M.  D.  One  gallon  of  this  water  contains  the  fol- 
lowing ingredients  :  Grains. 

Chloride  of  Sodium, 243.620 

Carbonate  of  Magnesia 84 .  265 

''           Lime,  ...' 41.600 

"            Soda, 12.800 

"           Iron, 5.452 

Iodide  of  Sodium , 3 .  600 

A  trace  of  Bromide  of  Potassium,  Silica   and 

Alumina, 1 .  570 

Total, 392.907 

Carbonic  acid   gas,   (from  water  bottled  four 

weeks,)    314.16 

Atmospheric  air, 4 .  62 

Cubic  inches, 318.78 


Saratoga  Lake,  lying  in  Saratoga  county,  is  a  beau- 
tiful  sheet  of  water,  4  miles  southeast  of  the  village  of 
Saratoga  Springs,  and  5  miles  east  of  Ballston  Spa  :  it 
is  9  miles  long  and  about  2  miles  wide.  This  lake  is 
much  resorted  to  during  the  summer  months  by  parties  oi 
pleasure,  and  it  is  stored  with  pike,  pickerel,  perch  and 
other  fish.  The  shores  abound  with  game,  and  with  the 
lake,  afford  ample  sport  to  the  huntsman  and  angler. 

On  leaving  Saratoga  Springs  for  the  north,  the  travel- 
ler is  conveyed  by  stage  to  Glen's  Falls  and  Caldwell, 
or  to  Whitehall,  via  Sandy  Hill,  or  Dunham's  Basin  ; 
at  the  latter  place  the  stage  line  connects  with  canal 
packet  boats  running  from  Albany  and  Troy,  to  Whitehall, 


TOUR    TO    LAKE  GEORGE,    ETC, 


63 


The  village  of  Glen's  Falls,  on  the  Hudson,  18  miles 
north  of  Saratoga  Springs,  is  a  place  of  great  interest. 
The  falls  in  the  river  at  this  point  have  a  total  de- 
scent of  about  50  feet,  are  varied  and  picturesque,  and  af- 
ford hydraulic  power  to  a  vast  extent,  which  is  yet  but 
partially  used  for  manufacturing  purposes.  A  new  and 
substantial  bridge,  about  500  feet  long,  has  been  erected 
here  on  the  site  of  the  old  oae.  It  is  a  free  bridge  and 
aiTords  a  favorable  view  of  the  falls  and  river.  The 
Champlain  canal  feeder  passes  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river  at  this  place,  receiving  its  waters  from  the  Hudson, 
two  miles  above  the  village,  and  uniting  with  the  Cham- 
plain  canal  a  few  miles  east  of  Sandy  Hill,  affording  a 
navigable  communication  with  Lake  Champlain,  and  the 
tide  waters  of  the  Hudson  river. 

This  village  was  incorporated  in  1839,  and  now  con- 
tains about  1,800  inhabitants,  225  dwelling  houses,  one 
Presbyterian,  one  Baptist,  and  one  Methodist  church  ; 
an  incorporated  academy,  and  a  female  seminary  j  four 
hotels  and  taverns  ;  thirty  stores  and  groceries  j  one  grist 
mill,  four  extensive  saw-mills,  including  three  gang  mills 
of  twenty-live  saws  each,  and  four  English  mills  ;  four 
marble  mills,  containing  275  saws  j  one  plaster  mill,  one 
furnace,  three  machine  shops,  one  marble  polishing  and 
chimney  piece  manufactory,  two  tanneries,  and  three  ex- 
tensive establishments  for  making  lime.  On  both  sides 
of  the  river  at  this  place  are  extensive  beds  of  black  mar- 
ble, which  for  beauty  of  color  and  brilliancy  of  polish, 
are  not  exceeded  in  this  country.  From  this  marble,  lime 
also  is  made  of  a  superior  quality.  Below  the  falls,  na- 
ture has  exposed  the  strata  in  such  a  way  that  the  thick- 
ness of  the  several  layers  can  be  examined  to  the  depth 
of  at  least  70  feet. 


i  i 


\  I 


64 


TOUR    TO  LAKE    GKORGE,    ETC. 


The  principal  hotel  at  Glen's  Falls,  where  the  stage 
usually  stops  for  passengers  to  dine,  has  long  been  cele- 
brated for  its  delicious  hill  of  fare. 

The  road  from  this  place  to  Caldwell,  at  the  head  of 
Lake  George,  a  distance  of  9  miles,  passes  over  a  wild 
and  romantic  region  of  country,  connected  with  stirring 
events  in  the  Revolutionary  and  old  French  wars,  which 
make  it  classic  ground.  Before  reaching  Lake  George 
you  pass  the  '•  Bloody  Pond,"  near  which  in  September; 
1755.  about  1,000  English  and  French  were  killed,  and 
their  bodies  thrown  into  this  pond,  which  now  presents 
a  wild  and  gloomy  appearance. 

The  village  of  Caldwell  is  delightfully  situateJ  at  the 
southwest  end  of  Lake  George,  62  miles  north  of  the 
city  of  Albany.  It  contains  about  200  inhabitants,  35 
dwelling  houses,  a  court-house  and  jail,  a  county  clerk's 
office,  one  church,  four  hotels  and  taverns,  two  stores, 
one  grist-mill,  one  saw-mill,  and  a  plaster  mill,  situated 
on  Mill  brook.  In  the  vicinity  of  this  place,  L^ar  the 
south  end  of  the  Lake,  is  situated  the  site  of  old  Fort 
William  Henry ,  and  a  short  distanca  beyond,  the  ruins 
of  Fort  George  ;  still  further  south  are  the  ruins  of  Fort 
Gage  •  all  of  which  are  associated  with  the  early  history 
of  this  part  of  the  country  both  in  peace  and  war.  The 
Lake  House,  at  this  place  is  a  well  kept  hotel,  and  is 
much  resorted  to  during  warm  weather.  It  is  a  delight- 
ful summer  retreat,  where  are  to  be  found  desirable  accom- 
modations for  fishing  parties  and  parties  of  pleasure. — 
The  steamer  William  Caldwell,  plies  regularly  between 
Caldwell  and  the  outlet  of  the  lake  at  Ticonderoga,  a 
distance  of  36  miles  ;  stages  then  transport  passengers  a 
distance  of  4  miles  from  the  landing  on  Lake  George,  to  the 
steamboat  landing  on  Lake  Champlain  j  affording  one  of 
the  most  picturesque  and  romantic  excursions  imaginable. 


LAKE  GEORGE. 


65 


stas^e 
L  cele- 

jad  of 
1  wild 
Lirring 
■vshich 
leorge 
miber:, 
il,  and 
•esents 

at  the 
of  the 
tits,  35 
clerk's 
stores, 
ituated 
ar  the 
Fort 
e  ruins 
bf  Fort 
history 
The 
and  is 
elight- 
accom- 
sure. — 
elvveen 
roga,  a 
ngers  a 
e,  to  the 
one  of 
inable. 


Lake  George,  or  Horicon,  is  justly  celebrated  for  its 
varied,  romantic  and  beautiful  scenery,  and  for  the  trans- 
parency and   purity  of  its   waters.     It  is  36  miles  long, 
north  and  south,  and  from  two  to  three  miles  wide  ;  and 
is  elevated  243  feet  above  the  tide  water  of  the  Hudson, 
although  its  waters  flow  north  into  Lake  Champlain.     It 
is  surrounded  by   high  and  picturesque  hills,  sometimes 
rising  to  mountain  height — and  doited   with   numerous 
islands,  said  to  count  as  many  as  there  are  days  in  the 
year  ;  some   are   of   considerable    size,  and   cultivated  ; 
while  others  are  only  a  barren  rock,  rising   majestically 
out  of  the   surrounding  waters.     Diamond   Island,  near 
the  village   of  Caldwell,  is     elebrated  for   its  beautiful 
quartz  crystals,  which  in  shape  and   brilliancy  resemble 
pure  diamonds.     The  wild  and  romantic  scenery  of  this 
lake  is  no  where  surpassed.     The   bed  of  the   lake  is  a 
handsome  yellowish  sand,  and  the  water   is  so  pure  and 
transparent,  as  to  render   the  bottom  visible  from  30  to 
40  feet.     Here   t..e  delicious   salmon  trout,  that   weigh 
from  5  to  20  pounds,   are  found   in  great  numbers  and 
of  the   finest  quality.     Silver   trout,  brook   trout,  pike, 
pickerel,  perch,  and   several  other   kinds  of  fresh  water 
fish  are  also  abundant.     Travellers  on  the  tour  from  the 
Springs  to  Canada,  should  not  fail  to  visit  Lake  George  ; 
by  the  French  called  Lac   Sacrament,  on  account  of  the 
purity  of  its   \vaters.     The   steamboat  ''  William   Cald- 
well," runs  through  the  lake,  from  Caldwell  to  the  land- 
ing near  the  village  of  Ticonderoga,  whence  stages  run 
to  Fort  Ticonderoga,  at  the  steamboat  landing  on  Lake 
Champlain  ;  where   steam  passage   boats  on   their  route 
from  Whitehall   to  St.  John's,  touch   daily,  during   the 
season  of  navigation.     This   route   is  varied  in  scenery, 
and  deeply  interesting  in  historical  incidents. 

S 


6G 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,      ETC. 


i^ 


( 


i.  I 


IlouTE  FROM  Saratoga  S'trings.  to  Whitehall. 

The  village  of  Sandy  Hill,  Ihroiigh  \vliich  passes  the 
stage  route  iVom  Saratoga  Springs  to  Whitehall,  is  situated 
on  elcvateJ  grouni  on  the  east  side  of*  the  Hudson,  19 
miles  from  Saratoga  Springs,  and  50  miles  north  of  the 
city  of  Albany.  The  water  power  at  this  piacc  is  very 
great,  there  being  a  full  of  about  12  .feet  at  the  upper 
part  of  the  village,  while  about  100  rods  below  with  a 
continuous  descent,  are  situated  Baker^s  Falls,  where 
there  is  an  almost  perpendicular  fall  of  50  feet,  affording 
hydraulic  power  to  a  great  extent,  none  of  w  hich  is  at 
present  used  for  manufacturing  purposes. 

The  Cluiraplain  canal  feeder  passes  through  this  place, 
uniting  with  the  main  canal  cue  or  two  miles  cast  of  the 
vilbge,  affording  canal  navigation  to  Lake  Champlain 
anJ  to  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Hudson.  The  Sara- 
toga and  Washington  Railroad,  when  completed,  wdll 
run  through  Sandy  Hill,  from  Saratoga  Springs  to  White- 
hall,  a  distance  of  40  miles. 

A  daily  line  of  stages  run  during  the  summer  months 
from  Saratoga  Springs  to  Dunham's  Basin,  2  miles  east 
of  Sanly  Hill,  on  the  Champlain  Canal,  connecting  with 
canal  packets  running  from  Albany  and  Troy  to  Whitehall. 

The  village  of  Tout  Edward  is  2  miles  south  of  San- 
dy  Hill.  This  vicinity  having  been  celebrated  during  the 
old  French  and  Revolutionary  wars,  as  the  theatre  of 
military  exploits  and  savage  murder,  we  subjoin  the  fol- 
lowing  extract  :  "  The  remains  of  Fcrt Edward  are  still 
to  be  seen  in  the  very  centre  of  the  romantic  little  village 
which  now  bears  its  name.  At  a  shcrt  distance  north, 
the  place  is  shown  v.diere  Miss  Jane  McCrca  was  mur- 
dered by  the  Indians.  Tradition  has  accurately  preserv- 
ed the  location  of  that  most  bloody  and  most  melancholy 
deed.     She  was  on  her  way  to  join  an  ofTicer  in  the  British 


TOUll    TO    CANADA,     KTC. 


67 


nrmy  to  whom  she  was  to  be  married.  Slic  comHiilted 
herself,  ngninst  the  remonstrance  of  her  friends,  to  a 
party  of  Indians  as  the  safest  escort  in  those  times.  They 
tnet  another  party  at  tliis  phice,  sent  by  the  anxious  and 
expecting  bridegroom,  and  an  altercation  ensued  in  re- 
ference to  the  premised  reward  ;  in  the  midst  of  wliich 
they  were  attacked  by  a  party  of  whiles.  When  the  con- 
flict was  over  she  was  found  tomahawked  and  scalped. 
Her  lover  was  overwhelmed  with  grief,  and  survived  but 
a  short  time." 

Fort  Ann,  10  miles  north  of  Sandy  ITill,  is  a  place 
of  interest,  being  one  of  many  fortified  points  between 
Lake  Champlain  and  the  Hudson  river,  celebrated  in 
the  early  history  of  the  country.  The  old  fort,  of  which 
hardly  a  vestige  now  remains,  was  erected  iu  175G. 

Tlie  village  of  Whiteijall,  72  miles  nortli  of  Albany, 
is  advantageoualy  situated  in  a  narrov/  valley  at  the  head 
of  Lake  Champlain  ;  it  v.as  incorporated  in  1820,  and 
now  contains  about  2,400  inhabitants,  300  dwelling 
houses,  one  Presbyterian,  one  Episcopal,  and  oiicMetho- 
dist  church  ;  one  banking  house,  four  lioteln,  thirty 
stores  and  groceries,  and  two  extensive  forwarding  houses; 
several  manufacturing  establishments  ;  two  ship  yards 
and  two  dry  docks,  where  are  built  and  repaired  steam* 
boats,  lake  craft  and  canal  boats;  two  brick  yards  and 
one  tannery,  besides  almost  every  other  kind  of  mechanic 
Vv'ork  shops.  Here  are  owned  2  or  3  steamboats  for  the 
conveyance  of  passengers  and  merchandise,  and  tv.'o 
steamboats  used  as  tow  boats  ;  50  sloops  and  schooners, 
averaging  about  100  tons  burthen,  and  70  canal  boats, 
besides  others  owned  en  dificrent  parts  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain, which  trade  with  and  pass  through  this  place. 
Two  daily  lines  of  canal  packets  leave  Whitehall  for 
Troy  and  Albany,  and  tvvo  daily  lines  of  stages,  one  pas* 
sing  on   each   side  of  the  Hudson   river  ;  in  addition   to 


68 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,     ETC. 


■  n 


I! 


which  two  dail)'  lines  of  stages  run  to  Saratoga  Springs 
during  the  summer  months,  connecting  with  the  railroads 
to  Troy,  Schenectady  and  Albany.  A  daily  line  of  stages 
run  to  Rutland,  Vermont,  intersecting  stage  lines  running 
to  Boston,  &c.  During  the  close  of  navigation,  a  daily 
line  of  stages  run  from  here  to  Burlington  and  Montreal. 

The  passenger  steamboats  now  running  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  from  Whitehall  to  St.  John's,  Canada,  are  the 
Burlington,  commanded  by  Richard  W.  Sherman,  the 
iVhitehall,  commande'^  by  ii.  Lathrop,  and  the  Saranac. 
These  boats  are  celeL, .  od  or  the  admirnble  discipline 
observed  on  board  and  in  qui  ^  and  comfo  -t. 

One  of  the  above  boats  will  leave  Whitehall  daily,  at 
10  o'clock  A.  M.  during  the  season  of  navigation,  which 
usually  lasts  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the  first  of  De- 
cember. The  lare  through  to  St.  John's  is  now  reduced 
to  $3.00  for  cabin  passage. 

Lake  Champlain,  lying  between  the  states  of  New- 
York  and  Vermont,  extends  north  and  south  a  distance  of 
140  miles ;  varying  from  half  a  mile  or  less,  to  10  miles 
in  width  j  it  is  a  long,  narrow  and  deep  body  of  water, 
dotted  with  a  number  of  islands,  the  largest  of  which  be- 
long to  Vermont.  From  Whitehall  to  Crown  Point,  the 
lake  is  quite  narrow,  but  here  it  begins  to  expand,  and 
soon  becomes  3  miles  wide,  still  increasing  northward, 
until  near  Burlington,  where  it  spreads  to  its  greatest 
width.  Steamboats  of  the  first  class,  and  sloops  of  from 
50  to  100  tons  burthen  navigate  this  lake  its  whole  length, 
thence  down  the  Sorelle,  or  Richelieu  river,  its  outlet,  to 
St.  Johns,  Canada,  where  steamboat  navigation  ceases  ; 
a  total  distance  of  about  150  miles.  This  lake  is  connect- 
ed with  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Hudson,  by  means 
of  the  Champlain  canal,  which  extends  south,  a  distance 
of  63  miles;  also  by  the  Chambly  Canal,  on  the  north, 
with  the  St.  Lawrence  river.    As  you  approach  near  the 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,     ETC. 


69 


at 


centre  of  Lake  Champlain,  a  large  body  of  water  presenis 
itself  to  view,  bordered  by  scenery  of  the  most  picturesque 
description.  The  headlands  which  are  seen  to  great  ad- 
vantage, and  the  vast  ranges  of  mountains  on  either  siie, 
are  truly  grand  and  romantic.  The  highest  peak  of  the 
Green  Mountains,  called  the  "  CamcVs  Mump"  is  seen  on 
the  east,  while  the  high  ranges  of  the  mountains  of  Essex 
county,  are  seen  on  the  west.  This  latter  range  of  moun- 
tain peaks,  the  Adirondack  group,  contain  the  highest 
land  in  the  state  of  New- York,  rising  in  some  places  to  the 
height  of  5,000  feet  and  upwards,  richly  stored  with  iron 
ore  and  timber  of  large  growth. 

In  the  streams  which  flow  into  this  lake  f  3  frequent 
waterfalls  of  great  beauty ;  and  the  fine  heaJlf  ds  and 
bays  of  the  lake  itself  give  a  picturesque  ciiarm  to  its 
shores.  Its  waters  are  stocked  with  salmon,  salmon 
trout,  sturgeon,  pickerel,  and  various  other  kinds  offish. 

Fort  Ticoinderoga.  The  ruins  of  this  .d  fortification 
are  situated  in  the  town  of  Ticonderoga,  Essex  Co.  on  the 
west  side  of  Lake  Champlain,  at  the  entrance  of  the  outlet 
of  Lake  George,  24  miles  north  of  Whitehall.  This  place 
was  originally  called  Che-on-der-o-ga  by  the  Indians,  sig- 
nifying, in  their  language,  noise;  its  name  was  afterwards 
slightly  changed  by  the  French  into  its  present  appellation, 
which  it  has  borne  ever  since  it  was  first  occupied  and  forti- 
fied by  them  in  1756.  The  fort  was  at  first  named  Fort 
Carillion,  but  afterwards  called  Fort  Ticonderoga,  by  the 
English  and  Americans .  This  fortification  cost  the  French 
government  a  large  sum  of  money,  and  was  considered 
very  strong  both  by  nature  and  art.  It  stands  on  a  point 
of  land,  elevated  70  feet  above  Lake  Champlain,  being 
surrounded  on  three  sides  by  water,  and  on  the  northwest 
it  was  defended  by  strong  breast  works.  Mount  Inde- 
pendence^ on  the  opposite  or  east  side  of  the  lake,  was 


i   II 


70 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,     KTC. 


'li 


also   fortified,  and   some  of  the    introncliments   are  Flill 
visible,  elevated  110  feet  above  the  luke,  and  overlook- 
ing the  peninsula  of  Ticonderoga.     After  several  sangui- 
nary conflicts  in  this  vicinity  and  under  the  very  walls  of 
tlie  fort,  in  which  several  thousand  lives  were  sacrificed, 
this  itnportant    military    position    was  tamely  evacuated 
by  the   Trench  in  1759,  and  j^iven  up  to  the  Ihitish  army 
under  Lord   Amherst  ;  who  retained   possession  until    it 
was   taken   by   surprise   by    Col.    Kthnn    Allen,    of  the 
American  army,  in  1775.  He  is  said  tohavecntf  red  the  fort 
through  a  subterraneous  passage  from  the  south,  extend- 
ing to  the  lake  ;  surprising  the  commandant  in  his  bed  be- 
fore he  was  aware  of  his  danger,  and  in  I: is  characteris- 
tic way  requiied  the  officer    to  surrender.     lie   asked  to 
whom?     "Why,  to  Jehovnli  and    the  Continental   Con- 
gress, to  be  sure  ;"  was  his  laconic  reply.     In  1777,  the 
British  army,  un  ler   Gen.  Burgoyne,  on   their   route  to 
Sarato'^a,  appeared  in  array    before  Ticontlcroga,  when 
Gen.  St.  Clair,  the  American  commander,  was  forced  to 
evacuate^  the  enemy  having  erected  a  battery   on  Mount 
DefiaucCj  in  the  rear,  elevated   720  feet  above  the  lake, 
which  overlooked  and  completely  comma ;itled    this  forti- 
fication, which  was  before  considered  almost  impregna- 
ble ;  it  then  remained  in  the  hands  of  liritish    until  the 
close  of  the  war.     Since  that  time  it  has  been  suflered  to 
go  to  decay,  and  now  presents  one  of  the  most  interesting 
ruins  of  the  kind  in  this  country,  nnl  is  annually  visited 
by  a  great  number  of  travellers.     ]\rar  by,  delightfully 
situate  1  on  the  lake  shore,  is  a  well  kept  hotel  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  visiters.     Here  steamboats,  during   the 
season  of  navigation,  daily  land  and  receive  passengers, 
on  their  route  from  Whitehall  to  St.  John's,  Canada. 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,     KTC. 


71 


filiU 

ook- 

li^ui- 

lls  oi' 

ficed, 

uatcd 

army 

til    it 

)f  the 

icforl 

Ktcnd- 

ed  be- 

ctcris- 

tvcd  to 
Con- 

7,  the 

putc  to 
when 

reed  to 
hunt 
lake, 
forti- 
•cgna- 
til  the 
ered  to 
resting 
visited 
htruUy 
the  ac- 
ng   the 
engcrs, 
da. 


Tlie  following  account  of  the  dkfkat  of  tiik  British 
AT  TicoNDKiiooA,  IN  iTr)^,  is  taken  from  tlie  "Memoirs 
an  American  LaJy,'  written  by  Mrs.  (J rant. 

**  The  finny  umler  the  command  of  (Jen.  Ahorcromhic, 
crosse.l  J^ake  (Jeorge  on  the  iith  of  July,  and  hiiiled  with- 
out oppo>ition.     'J'hey  proceeded  in  four  columns  to  Ti- 
conileroga,  and  di-plnycd  a  spectacle  unprecedente  1  la  the 
New  World.     An  army  of  sixteen   thousand  men,  regu- 
lars and  provincials,  with  a  train  of  artillery,  and  all  the 
necessary  provisions   for  an   active  campaign   or  regular 
siege,    followed   by   a   (iect   of  batten ux,    pontons.  &c. 
They  set  out  wrong,  however,  by  not  hav  ing  Indian  guides, 
who  are  alone  t(»  he   depended  on  in   such  a  place.     In  a 
short  time  tlic   columns  fell  in    upon  each   other,  and  oc- 
casioned   much    confusion.     The    advance   guard  of  the 
French,  which  h;id  retired  liefore  them,  were  equally  be- 
wildered, and  falling  in  with  each  other  in  this  confusion, 
a  skirmish  ensued,  in  which  the  French  lost  abcAe  three 
hundred  men,  and  tl.e  Englisli,  though  successful  in  this 
first  rencontre,  lost  as  much  as  it  was  possible  to  lose,  in 
one  man — for  here  it  was  that  the  valiant  Lord  Howe, 
the  second  in  command,  fell  mortally  wounded.     He  was 
shot  from  behind  a  tree,  probably  by  some  Indians  •  and 
the  whole  army  were  inconsolable  fur  a  loss  they  too  well 
knew  to  be  irreparable. 

"  The  fort  is  in  a  situation  of  peculiar  natural  strength  j 
it  lies  on  a  little  peninsula,  with  Lake  Champlain  on  one 
side  and  a  narrow  opening  communicating  with  Lake 
George,  on  the  other.  This  garrison,  w  liich  was  well 
prepared  for  attack,  and  almost  impregnable  from  situa- 
tion, was  defen  led  by  between  four  and  five  thousand 
men.  An  engineer  sent  to  reconnoitre,  was  of  opinion 
that  it  might  be  attacked  withoutMaitingfor  the  artillery. 
The  fatal  resolution  was  taken  without  consulting  those 
who  were  best  qualified  to  judge. 


72 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,     J3TG. 


(I 


**  I  cannot  enter  into    the  dreadful  detail  of  what  fol- 
lowed.    Certainly   never  was   infatuation  equal  to  this. 
The  Turty-second  regiment  was  tlien  in   the  height  of  de- 
served reputation,  and  commanded  by  a  veteran  of  great 
experience  and  military  skill,  Col.  Gordon  Graham,  who 
had  the  first  point  of  attack  assigned  to    him.     He  was 
wounded  at  tlie  lirst  onset,  and  of  the   survivors,  every 
officer  retired   wounded   oif  the  field.     Of  the   fifty- fil\h 
regiment,  ten  officers  were  killed,  including  all  the  field 
oflicers.     No  human  beings  could  show  more  determined 
courage  than  this  brave  army  did — standing  four  hours 
under  a  constant  discharge  of  cannon  and  musketry  from 
barricades,  on  which  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  make 
the  least  impression.     Gen.  Abercrombie  saw  the  fruit- 
less waste  of  blood  that  was  every  hour  increasing,  and 
ordered  a  retreat,  which  was  very  precipitate  ;  so  much 
80,  that  they  crossed  the  lake,  and  regained   their  camp 
on  the  other  side,  the  same  night.     Two  thousand  men 
were  killed,  wounded,  or  taken  in  this  disastrous  engage- 
ment ;  which,  was   however,  quickly   succeeded  by  the 
dear  bought  conquest  of  Quebec,  where  fell  both  the  ri- 
val commanders,  Wolfe  and  Montcalm." 

Mount  Defiance,  about  one  mile  southwest  of  Fort  Ti- 
conderoga,  on  the  south  side  of  the  outlet  to  Lake  George, 
is  a  bold  promontory,  elevated  about  800  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  Lake.  While  the  ascent  from  the  water  or 
eastern  face  is  quite  steep  and  difficult,  the  approach 
from  the  west  is  easy.  It  was  from  this  quarter  that 
Gen.  Burgoyne,  in  1777,  ascended  this  mountain  and 
planted  several  pieces  of  artillery — obliging  the  Ameri- 
cans to  evacuate  the  fort,  which  was  before  considered  al- 
most impregnable.  The  top  of  this  eminence  gives  a 
grand  view  of  Lake  Champlain  and  the  surrounding 
country,  and  is  well  worthy  of  a  visit,  which  can  easily 
be  accomplished  on  foot. 


TOUn    TO    CANADA,     ETC. 


73 


The  villac[e  of  Ticondeuooa,  two  miles  west  of 
Lake  Chnmplain,  is  situated  on  the  outlet  of  Lake 
George,  where  is  ii  thriving  settlement,  surrounded 
by  picturesque  mountain  scenery.  One  or  two  miles 
farther  west  on  the  rond  to  Lake  George,  is  situated  ano- 
ther village  called  Upper  Ticonderoga  or  Alexandria. 
Here  is  a  most  beautiful  fall  of  water,  affording  immense 
hydraulic  power,  a  small  part  of  which  is  only  used  for 
propelling  machinery.  The  steamboat  landing,  at  the 
foot  of  Lake  George,  is  about  one  mile  west  of  the  latter 
place,  the  whole  distance  to  Lake  Champlain  being  four 
miles. 

SiioREHAM,  2  miles  from  Ticonderoga,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  lake,  is  a  regular  steamboat  landing. 

Bridport,  9  miles  further,  is  another  landing  on 
the  Vermont  shore. 

Chimney  Point,  6  miles  north  of  Bridport,  is  also 
another  landing  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake. 

Crown  Point,  18  miles  north  of  Ticonderoga,  on  the 
west  side  of  Lake  Champlain,  presents  an  interesting  ap- 
pearance from  the  water.  The  ruins  of  the  old  fortifi- 
cations are  situated  on  a  neck  of  land  running  into  the 
lake  ;  the  embankments  are  visible  and  indicate  an  im- 
mense amount  of  labor  expended  to  render  this  point  in- 
vulnerable to  an  approaching  foe,  whether  by  land  or  wa- 
ter ;  yet  it  was  taken  by  surprise,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  revolutionary  struggle,  by  the  celebrated  Col. 
Ethan  Allen. 

Port  Henry,  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake  is  situated 
on  Cedai  Point,  at  the  mouth  of  Bulwagga  Bay,  which 
separates  ^'rown  Point  from  the  main  land.  Here  are 
the  works  of  the  Port  Henry  Iron  Company,  with  iron 
ore  of  good  quality  in  the  vicinity. 

Westport,  54  miles  north  of  Whitehall,  is  situated  on 
northwest  bay,  on  the  west  side  of  Lake  Champlain.    It 


74 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,    ETC. 


'i  I 


I 


t 


contains  6  or  700  inhabitants  and  is  a  thriving  place.  A 
horse  ferry  boat  here  plies  across  the  lake,  running  to 
Basin  Harbor,  Vermont. 

Fort  Cassin,  7  miles  further  north,  on  the  east  side 
of  Lake  Champlain,  is  situated  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Otter  river,  which  is  navigable  to  Vergenncs,  a  distance 
of  5  miles. 

Split  Rock,  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake,  2  or  3  miles 
south  of  the  village  of  Essex,  is  a  rocky  promontory  pro- 
jecting into  the  lake  on  the  west  side,  about  ]50  feet,  and 
elevated  above  the  level  of  the  water  some  30  or  40  feet. 
This  is  perhaps  the  greatest  natural  curiosity  on  Lake 
Champlain.  The  part  detached  contains  about  half  an 
acre,  covered  with  a  small  growth  of  trees,  and  is  sepa* 
rated  from  the  main  rock  about  20  feet.  It  is  evident  this 
rock  has  been  detached  by  some  convulsion  of  nature,  as 
the  two  faces  exactly  fit  each  other — the  prominences  in 
the  one  corresponding  with  the  cavities  in  the  other. 

The  village  of  Essex,  G3  miles  from  Whitehall,  is 
handsomely  situated  on  the  west  side  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain, opposite  CharJuiic  Landing^  with  which  it  is 
connected  by  a  horse  ferry  boat.  Tlie  lake  here  expands 
to  3  or  4  miles  in  width,  and  presents  a  large  expanse  of 
water  towards  the  north.  The  Green  Mountains  of  Vcr-' 
mont,  and  the  Adirondack  Group  of  Essex  county,  are 
here  seen  stretching  north  and  south  in  vast  mountain 
peaks  and  ridges.  The  CamcVs  Rump,  being  one  of  the 
highest  peaks  of  the  former,  is  overlooked  by  Mount 
Marcy  on  the  Nov.- York  side  of  the  lake,  the  latter  being 
elevated  5,4C7  feet,  or  upwards  of  one  mile  above  the 
tide  waters  of  the  Hudson  ;  and  near  it  this  noble  river 
has  its  most  northern  source. 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,    ETC. 


75 


Burlington,  Vermont,  82  miles  from  Whitehall   and 
75  miles  from  St.  John's,  Canada,  by  btcamboat  route,  is 
most   deliglitiuUy    situated    on    the   east   shore    of"  Lake 
Champlain.  This  is  the  most  important  place  in  the  htate, 
lying    on    lUirlington    ^iay.      It  possesses  a  convenient 
and  safe    harbor   for   steamboats   and   lake  cral't.     The 
United  i^'t-ites  government  have  here  erected  a  breakwater, 
which  protects  the    shipping  from    westerly  winds,  and 
is   a    great   addition    to   the  security  of  the  harbor.     In 
1S40,    it  contained   a   population   of  4,721    inhabitants; 
about  GOO  dwelling  houses;  the  University   of  Ygrmont, 
consisting  of  four  spacious  edifices;  the  Episcopal  Insti- 
tute; a  court-house  and  jail;  7  churches  of  diilerent  de- 
nomi;>ations,    an   academy  and   2   female  seminaries,  2 
banking  hou'  's,  several  well  kept  hotels,  and  a  number 
of  stores  of  i.../ercut  kinds;  besides  several  factories  and 
mills,  and  most  every  kind  of  mechanic   establishments. 
This  villngeoverlooking  the  lake,  with  its  bays,  islands, 
and  adjacent  scenery — the  passing  steamboats  and  other 
vessels;  possesses  a  beauty  of  location  probably  unsurpass- 
ed by  any  other  place  in  the  Union.    In  trade  and  commerce 
it  is  closely  allied  with  the  interests  of  the  State  of  New- 
York.     Steamboats  stop  here   daily  on  their  route  from 
Whitehall  to  St.  John's.  Canada;  a  steamboat  also  plies 
from  this  place  to  Port  Kent,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
lake,  a  distance  of  10  mUes,  and  thence  to  Piattsburgh,  a 
further  distance  of  12  miles. 

Port  Kent,  is  advantageously  situated  on  the  west 
side  of  Lake  Champlain,  12  miles  south  of  the  village  of 
Piattsburgh.  It  contains  about  250  inhabitants,  30  dwel- 
ling houses,  1  church,  2  taverns,  3  stores  and  2  ware- 
houses. The  site  ol"  this  place  is  beautiful,  command- 
ing one  of  the  finest  views  on  Champlain,  extending  to 


I 


76 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,    ETC. 


the  opposite  shore  of  Vermont.  It  is  contemplated  to 
construct  a  railroad  from  Port  Kent  to  the  Au  Sable  Forks, 
a  distance  of  16  miles,  passing  through  the  villages  of 
Keeseville  and  Clintonville.  Immediately  south  of  the 
landing  at  this  place,  lies  Trembleu  Point,  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Clinton  range  of  mountains. 

Keeseville,  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Au  Sable 
river,  4  miles  west  of  Port  Kent.  It  contains  about 
2,000  inhabitants,  300  dwelling  houses,  1  Congregational, 
1  Baptist,  1  Methodist  and  1  Roman  Catholic  church,  an 
incorporated  academy,  1  banking  house,  2  taverns,  and 
18  stores  and  groceries.  The  vv^ater  powder  at  this  place 
is  very  great,  and  advantageously  used  by  several  manu- 
facturing establishments.  The ''Keeseville  Manufactur- 
ing Company"  is  chartered,  with  a  paid  capital  of  $40,000; 
they  own  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  an  extensive 
water  power,  on  which  is  situated  a  forge  with  three  fires, 
a  rolling  mill  and  nail  factory,  which  manufacture  into 
roll  iron  and  nails  about  1,000  tons  of  iron  annually. 
The  ''  Keeseville  Wollen  and  Cotton  Company"  is  also 
chartered,  with  a  paid  capital  of  $30^000:  they  own  on 
the  south  Fvie  a  large  factory  builJing,  to  which  is  at- 
tached a  drying  house  and  a  dye  house,  all  built  of  stone 
in  the  most  substantial  manner.  There  are  also  2  flouring 
mills,  4  extensive  sawmills,  which  make  annually  about 
half  a  million  of  market  boards;  1  furnace  and  a  ma- 
chine shop,  1  plaster  mill,  1  brewery,  1  large  wheel- 
wright shop,  1  tannery,  and  1  printing  office,  together  with 
most  other  kinds  of  mechanic  work  shops. 

At  Birmingham,  2  miles  below  Keeseville,  is  a  suc- 
cession of  picturesque  falls,  in  all  about  150  feet  descent. 
Immediately  below  the  lower  falls  the  river  enters  a  deep 
ravine  of  singular  and  romantic  beauty.  Through  the 
chasm  thus   formed  by  the   wearing   of  the  waters,  or 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,    ETC. 


77 


some  convulsion  of  nature,  the  rocks  rise  from  75  to  150 
feet,  almost  perpendicular,  for  a  distance  of  about  two 
miles,  averaging  about  50  feet  in  width,  altogether  form- 
ing a  great  natural  curiosity.  In  addition  to  the  above, 
there  are  other  ravines  in  this  vicinity  of  singular  for- 
mation. 

Plattsburgh,  is  situated  on  both  side  of  the  Saranac 
river,  on  the  west  shore  of  Lake  Champlain,  162  miles 
north  of  the  city  of  Albany.  It  was  incorporated  ita 
1815,  and  now  contains  about  2,600  inhabitants,  350 
dwelling  houses,  a  court-house,  jail  and  county  clerk's 
office;  1  Presbyterian,  1  Episcopal,  1  Methodist  and 
1  Roman  Catholic  church;  an  incorporated  lyceum 
and  an  incorporated  academy ;  5  hotels  and  tav- 
erns, 30  stores  and  groceries,  1  flouring  mill,  1  grist 
mill,  2  colton  ftictories,  3  woollen  factories,  2  marble 
mills,  2  fulling  mills,  2  saw  mills,  2  tanneries,  1  machine 
shop,  1  soap  manufactory,  and  2  printing  offices,  together 
with  almost  every  other  kind  of  mechanic  work  shops. 
The  water  power  at  this  place  is  very  great;  the  Saranac 
river  here  having  a  succession  of  falls,  making  a  total 
descent  of  about  40  feet;  only  a  part  of  which  is  occu- 
pied for  manufacturing  purposes.  The  surrounding  coun- 
try is  rich  in  agricultural  and  mineral  productions,  and 
Plattsburgh  is  the  proposed  termination  of  the  Ogdens- 
burgh  and  Lake  Champlain  llailroad,  which  when  com- 
pleted,  will  greatly  tend  to  develop  the  resources  of  the 
whole  northern  part  of  the  State  of  New-York.  This  is 
an  United  States  military  post,  where  the  government  are 
now  erecting  extensive  stone  barracks,  near  the  lake 
shore,  south  of  the  village,  and  a  permanent  breakwater 
for  the  protection  of  the  harbor. 

Plattsburgh  was  the  scene  of  an  important  engagement 
betv/een  the  British  and  American  armies,  in  September, 


78 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,    ETC, 


1814,  which  resnlleJ  in  the  defeat  of  the  British,  under 
the  commnnd  of  Si**  George  Prevost,  .'in:l  the  cipture  of 
the  n*  itish  iieet  rudci  Coin.  Downie,  who  was  killed  ju 
th"  ^ctioii.  The  A.merican  army  was  commandeil  by 
M:.j.  Gen.  Macomb,  and  the  fleet  by  Com.,McDonough. 

The  oificers,  oia  both  sides,  who  fell  in  the  several 
encounters  by  land  and  water,  on  the  nieniorable  occasion 
just  mentioned,  were  buried  in  the  public  cemetery  adja- 
cent to  the  village  of  Plattsburgh;  but  their  graves  were 
left,  under  the  pressing  exigencies  of  that  time,  without 
any  permanent  monument,  or  stone  of  mcmcrial.  That 
community,  long  discontented  with  an  omission  which 
seemed  to  betoken  an  apathy  not  at  all  in  unison  with 
real  feelings,  at  last  determined  to  make  amends  for  their 
neglect,  and  fufil  all  the  rites  of  sepulture.  Accordingly, 
a  little  previous  to  the  return  of  the  anniversary  of  the 
battle,  in  1S43,  meetings  were  held  at  ^vhich  it  was  re- 
solved  to  celebrate  the  day,  by  placing  marble  monu- 
ments,, with  appropriate  inscriptions,  at  the  several 
graves,  and  thus  render  to  the  brave  and  devoted  dead, 
the  remaining  public  honors  so  eminently  their  due,  and 
so  long  lei\  unpaid.  This  design  was  carried  into  effect 
under  the  superintendence  of  the  Clinton  County  Mili- 
tary Association,  and  the  anniversary  icp'cred  deeply 
interesting  by  the  placing  of  these  monuments,  with  ap- 
propriate ceremonies  and  religious  services,  accompanied 
by  commemoration  addresses. 

The  graves  are  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram, 
with  that  of  Capt.  Downie,  the  commander  of  the  British 
flotilla,  in  the  centre,  as  the  officer  of  highest  rank. 
The  nrmes  of  the  others,  so  far  as  known,  are  as  follow: 
Of  GUI  own  countrymen,  Lt.  George  W.  llunk,  of  the 
U.  S.  A.;  Lt.  Peier  Gamble,  U.  S.  N.j  Lt.  John  St.ans. 
bury.  U.  S.  1^  j  Sailing  Mast'.r  Rogers  Carter,  U.  S.  N,j 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,    ECT. 


79 


MiMsh:i)man  Jfimcs  M.  Baldwin,  U.  S.  N.;  Pilot  Joseph 
iSarron,  U.  S.  N.,  and  another  pilot,  nnmc  not  hnown. 
Of  the  British  army;  Col.  Wellington,  .3d  Ttrgt.  iiufts, 
Capt.  Purdiess,  7t)th  Regt.,  and  a  Lieutenant;  name  not 
known,  of  the  3d  Kegt.  Bulls;  and  of  the  British  navy 
three  Lieutenants,  names  not  known. 

The  beautiful  lines  of  an  Irish  poet  of  the  last  century, 
(Collins,)  can  never  be  more  appropriate  than  to  this 
occasion: 

"  IIt)\v  sloep  the  brave  '.vho  sink  to  rest, 
By  all  tlicir  country's  wislips  blost ! 
When  sprinfj  with  (Jowy  fingers  cold, 
Ilelurns  to  deck  tlieir  hallowed  mould. 
She  there  shall  dress  a  sweeter  .sod 
Thau  fancy's  feet  Itave  ever  irod. 
There  honor  comes,  a  pil^^rim  grey, 
To  bless  the  turf  (hat  wrap.s  their  clay. 
And  memory  shall  awhile  repair 
To  dwell  a  wcei)ing  lierniit  there." 

Cumberland  Head,  is  a  peninsula  extending  two  or 
three  miles  into  the  lake,  opposite  the  village  of  Platts- 
burgh,  forming  Cumberland  Baij,  into  which  empties  the 
Saranac  river. 

CuAn,  or  Hospital  Island,  lies  2  miles  south,  and 
near  the  track  of  the  steamers  on  their  way  to  and 
from  the  landing  at  Piattsburgh.  It  was  on  a  line  near- 
ly north  and  south  between  Cumberland  Head  and  Crab 
Island,  thnt  the  British  and  American  fleets  encountered 
each  other,  on  the  lltli  of  September,  1814,  a  day  which 
brought  so  much  honor  to  the  American  flag. 

South  Hero,  and  North' Hero,  are  the  names  of  two 
Tslr^nds  belonging  to  the  jurisdiction  of  Vermont.  The 
former  is  connected  by  a  ferry,  on  the  west  side  with 
Cuml  crlnnd  Head,  and  on  the  east  side  with  the  main 
shore  of  Vermont. 


80 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,    THTC. 


11 


Chazy  Landing,  16  miles  novth  of  Plattsburgh,  is  a 
convenient  steamboat  lauding,  on  the  west  side  of  Lake 
Cham  plain. 

Isle  au  Mott,  opposite  the  above  landing,  is  a  fine 
island,  also  attached  to  Vermont.  It  is  6  miles  long  and 
2  miles  wide,  containing  much  good  land,  and  a  valuable 
quarry  of  marble. 

The  town  of  Alburg,  Vt.  is  a  triangular  body  of  land, 
projecting  from  Canada  into  Lake  Champlain,  by  which 
it  is  surrounded,  excepting  on  the  Canada  side.  On  the 
eastern  shore  lies  the  village  of  Alburg,  a  port  of  entry, 
and  a  few  miles  north  is  Alburg  Springs,  where  is  a  small 
settlement,  and  mineial  spring  of  considerable  efficacy  in 
scrofula  and  other  cases. 

MissisQui  Bay,  still  further  northeast,  is  a  large  body 
of  water  lying  mostly  in  Canada,  or  north  of  the  45lh  de- 
gree of  north  latitude. 

The  village  of  Rouse^s  Point,  in  the  tow^n  of  Cham- 
plain,  25  miles  north  of  Plattsburgh,  and  132  miles  from 
Whitehall,  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  about  one  mile  &outh  of  the  Canada  line,  and  has  a 
convenient  steamboat  landijig.  It  is  surrounded  in  part 
by  a  level  and  fertile  region,  which  extends  west  to  the 
St.  Lawrence  river.  One  mile  north  of  the  village  is  a 
military  position  commanding  the  navigable  channel  of 
the  lake.  In  1815,  the  government  of  the  United  States 
?ommeiiced  the  construction  of  a  strong  fortress  at  Rouse's 
Point;  but  ori  running  ou*  the  boundary  line  between  the 
United  States  Otvj  Caaiu'a,  under  the  treaty  of  Ghent, 
this  point  was  foirad  to  If"  north  of  the  45th  degree  of 
north  latitude,  and  the  worts  were  suspended.  By  the 
treaty  of  Washington,  conclude  1  in  1842,  the  boundary 
was  so  adjusted,  howf  ^^er,  as  to  give  this  point  to  the 
United  States      The  suspended  works  are  in  a  very  dilapi- 


!i^ 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,    ETC. 


81 


tlalcd  condition,  and  serves  at  present  only  as  a  Innd-mark 
to  indicate  the  line  of  division  between  two  ua  tic  mil  juris- 
dictions. • 

At  the  Line,  the  lake,  which,  a  little  south,  is  3 
miles  across,  narrows  to  about  a  mile  in  width.  On  the 
east,  as  the  steamer  passes  into  the  Canadian  waters, 
may  be  seen  a  lone?  line  of  road  cut  through  a  forest :  this 
marks  the  boundaries  between  Canada  and  the  United 
States. 

Ash  Island,  4  miles  north  of  Rouse's  Point,  is  consi- 
sideredthe  foot  of  Lake  Champlain.  Here  the  Richelieu, 
or  St.  John's  river,  as  the  outlet  of  Lake  Oiampluin  is 
called,  is  about  half  a  mile  wide.  TVielandon  both  sides 
of  the  stream  seems  almost  level  with  the  water,  and 
presents  this  low  and  flat  surface  for  many  miles. 

Isle  aux  Noix,  situated  in  the  Richelieu  river,  12 
miles  north  of  Rouse's  Point,  is  the  first  steamboat  land- 
ing after  entering  Canada.  Here  is  a  strong  fortification 
occupied  by  British  troops,  and  commanding  the  channel 
of  the  river.  The  American  steamer  is  compelled  to 
land  at  this  place  to  take  on  board  a  custom  house  officer, 
and  to  show  their  permit  as  it  returns.  On  the  arrival  of 
the  boat  at  St.  John's,  being  as  far  as  the  river  is  naviga- 
ble for  steamboats;  the  baggage  of  the  passengers  is 
subject  to  the  inspection  of  custom  house  officers,  before 
being  removed  on  shore;  a  duty  being  levied  on  such  arti- 
cles as  are  not  allowed  to  enter  free. 

St.  John's,  or  Dorchester,  157  miles  from  Wliiliihall, 
is  advantageously  situated  on  the  WTst  side  of  the  Riche- 
lieu river,  a  bridge  connecting  it  with  the  village  of  St. 
Anthanaise  on  the  opposite  shore.  It  is  23  miles  north  of 
the  American  line,  24  miles  southeast  of  Montreal,  and 
contains  about  2000  inhabitants,  250  dwelling  houses,  a 
custom  house  and  barracks   for  soldiers,  1  Episcopal,  1 

F 


82 


TOUIl    TO    CANADA,    ETC. 


Roman  Catholic,  and  1  Methodist  church;  10  hotels  and 
taverns,  of  which  Mann's,  Morehouse's,  and  Mrs.  Wat- 
son's are  the  most  noted;  9  stores  and  2  forwarding 
houses,  2  tanneiies  and  a  number  of  mechanics'  shops 
of  'iifierent  kinds. 

The  Chambly  Canal,  extends  from  St.  Sohn'sto  Cham- 
bly,  on  the  north  west  side  of  the  Richelieu  river,  a  dis- 
tance of  12  miles.  It  was  completed  in  1843,  at  a  cost 
of  about  $400,000.  There  are  nine  locks  on  this  canal 
120  feet  long,  24  feet  wide  and  6  feet  deep;  lift  10  feet 
each,  making  a  total  descent  of  90  feet  in  12  miles. 
This  canal  was  constructed  by  the  Provincial  govern- 
ment. It  affords  navigation  for  v^esselsof  100  tons  burden 
between  Lake  Champlain  and  the  St.  Lawrence  river, 
thus  furnishing  an  uninterrupted  water  communication 
from   New-York  to  Quebec. 

The  Champlain  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  extend- 
ing from  St.  John's  to  La  Prairie  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  a 
a  distance  of  15  miles,  belongs  to  a  joint  stock  company. 
It  was  completed  in  1826,  at  a  cost  of  $200,000  including 
depot  buildings,  locomotives,  cars,  &c.  The  road  runs 
over  a  level  sectioii  of  country,  and  was  constructed  at  a 
less  sum  than  the  estimated  cost.  The  usual  fare  from 
St.  John's  to  Montreal,  is  one  dollar  in  first  class  cars;  fifty 
cents  in  second  class  cars. 

At  La  Prairie,  a  convenient  steam  ferryboat  conveys 
passengers  to   Montreal,  a  distance  of  9  miles. 

The  aspect  of  the  St.  Lawrence  is  truly  grand  and  in- 
teresting, as  you  approach  it  on  the  south  from  St  John's. 
Towards  the  west  is  seen  the  Lachine  rapids,  one  of  the 
most  dangerous  on  the  river.  Opposite  Montreal  it  is  3 
miles  wide,  embosoming  the  beautiful  island  of  St.  He- 
len, which  is  fortified  and  garrisoned  by  British  troops. 


TOUR    TO    CANADA,    ETC 


83 


As  you  approach  Montreal  by  water,  the  city,  ship- 
ping, and  wharves  are  seen  to  great  advantage.  The  lat- 
ter— the  wharves — probably  exceed  any  thing  of  the 
kind  in  America,  consisting  of  a  range  of  massive  and 
solid  masonry  extending  along  the  river  for  upwards  of 
a  mile. 

*#*  For  a  description  of  Montreal,  and  other  places 
in  Canada,  see  the  Tour  through  Canada  in  the 
"  Picturesque  Tourist." 


in- 


TABLE    OF    DISTANCES    BETWEEN    ALBANY 

AND  MONTREAL, 

BY   THE   MOST    DIRECT    ROUTE. 


PLACES. 


Place  to 
place. 


Albany, 

Troy, 

Whitehall,  . . . .  c, . 

Ticonderoga, 

Burlington, 

Plattsburgh, 

Rouse's  Point,. . . . , 
St.  John's,  Canada, 
Montreal, 


0 
6 
66 
24 
58 
25 
25 
24 
24 


From 
Albany. 


0 

6 

72 

96 

154 

179 

204 

228 

252 


From 
Montreal. 


252 

246 

180 

156 

98 

73 

48 

24 

0 


84  TOUR    TO    CANADA,    ETC. 

TABLE  OF  DISTANCES    FROM  MONTREAL  TO 

QUEBEC,  BY  Water. 

To  Verennes, 15  Miles. 

William  Henry, 30  45  " 

Lake  St.  Peter, 8  53  '' 

St.  Francis, 30  83  '' 

Three  Rivers, 7  90  " 

St.  Anne, 25  155  '' 

Richelieu  Rapids, 20  135  '* 

Cape  Snnte, 15  150  '* 

Cape  Rouge, •  22  178  '' 

Quebec,    8  180  " 


TABLE  OF  DISTANCES  FROM  MONTREAL  TO 

KINGSTON. 

To  Lacliine.  by  stage 9  Miles. 

Cascades,  by  sieamboat, 24     33     " 

Coteau  du  Lac,  fty  siagfi, 16    49     " 

(2ornvf9.\\,  by  steamboat, 41     90     ^' 

Dickinson's  Landing,  by  canal ,.., .  12  102     " 

OgdensburghjOrPrescott,  .v/c«7?;6oaf,  38  140     '* 

Brockville,  do.  12  152     '' 

Kingston.  do.  m  212     " 


From  Kingston  to  Toronto,  by  steamboat,  180  miles. 

To  Niagara  Falls,  by  Steamboat  and  Railroad, 
50  miles  further. 

Total  distance  from  Montreal  to  Niagara  Falls, 
442  miles. 


u 

n 

u 
(I 


a 
(( 
(( 
ii 
;< 
ii 


Ii«ii,ll'il1il>i>i  «ii><<llillli 


'I'rtrnmiaiirr'    ■   i  •■-tfr''-'-~'~-iifnmitiitirlh«Mmi 


I 


